Ukraine rejects US call to stop attacks on Russian refineries

The USA was reported to have demanded Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian refineries, as reported by "Financial Times". The Office of the President of Ukraine responded to this claim, dismissing it as "fiction".

"It's fiction. After two years of full-scale war, no one will dictate the conditions of this war to Ukraine," asserted Mykhailo Podoliak, who serves as an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the UNIAN agency.

Podoliak highlighted that Russia is currently targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure and civilians. Such an attack occurred from Thursday night to Friday, marking it the most significant since the conflict's outset. Zelensky's advisor underscored that this is a deliberate tactic, employed specifically "for genocidal purposes against the civilian population".

"Regarding strikes on the refinery, under international law, Ukraine has an absolute right to 'deplete' the Russian army, i.e., to destroy the tools of war. Fuel is a fundamental tool for carrying out certain military operations on the territory of Ukraine. Therefore, Ukraine will demolish all such infrastructure or military facilities that enable the Russian army to conduct specific operations on our land," stated Podoliak.

Ukrainian efforts to strike Russian fuel infrastructure aim to disrupt the Kremlin's logistics.

"Will it continue? Absolutely. Will any country attempt to influence Ukraine? I suppose any discussion is possible. But it's hard to imagine that, after two years of large-scale conflict, someone would suggest: you know, stop attacking," he added.

This matter was also discussed by Olha Stefanishyna, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. "Ukraine, in combating Russian aggression, utilizes available resources and capabilities, including assaults on Russian refineries," she stated.