Ukraine Will Continue Burning Russian Refineries Despite US-Russia Diesel Agreement, FT Reports

The Ukrainian leadership has no intention of abandoning long-range strikes against Russian energy infrastructure. Despite Washington's recent decision to permit supplies of Russian diesel to the global market, Kyiv has announced the continuation of drone attacks on Russian oil refineries.

Kyiv’s Position and Washington’s Reaction

A high-ranking Ukrainian official told the Financial Times outright that the campaign against Russian oil processing will continue. "We will burn Russian oil refineries," the source emphasized. This statement came in response to steps taken by the US Department of the Treasury, which through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a temporary general license permitting supplies of Russian diesel fuel to stabilize global markets.

Economic Realities and Analyst Views

Energy market experts and analysts question Moscow's ability to quickly ramp up fuel exports. According to Kpler estimates, due to regular Ukrainian drone strikes, Russian refineries are operating at roughly 60% of their design capacity. Michelle Brochard, head of policy and geopolitical risk, noted that Russia's main problem is not exports as such, but a catastrophic shortage of domestic deep refining capacity.

Contradictory Data

While Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak rushed to announce readiness to immediately lift export restrictions, actual statistics show the opposite picture. Russia's seaborne exports of diesel fuel sharply declined in 2026 amid restrictions introduced by Moscow itself and have nearly ground to a halt. US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin reached a corresponding agreement on October 9, according to media reports, yet the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stressed that the Kremlin offered Washington no reciprocal concessions regarding Ukraine.

Consequences and International Reaction

Washington's decision sparked a wave of criticism from the Ukrainian leadership and Western allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy openly stated that easing sanctions without clear, lasting de-escalation guarantees will only help Russia continue the war. The UK and other NATO partners reaffirmed their commitment to severe sanctions pressure, while the American side, according to media reports, unofficially warned Kyiv against continuing strikes under threat of halting intelligence sharing.