November 7, 2026
Ukraine announced the resumption of its long-range military strikes against the Russian oil sector, just days after suspending the targeting of refineries under pressure exerted by US President Donald Trump to limit the repercussions of the war on global energy markets.
In this context, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed, via the “X” platform, the continuation of military operations against the Russian oil refining sector, expressing his gratitude to the military units and defense and security forces for their accuracy and continuation of carrying out the strikes. He stressed that these operations come in response to the ongoing Russian attacks that use “Shahed” drones and missiles to target civilian infrastructure and energy facilities in Ukraine.
Zelensky accused Moscow of refusing to take serious steps to reduce the escalation despite calls from international partners, stressing that Kiev has determined the nature of its future responses. Regarding the prospects for a settlement, he considered that Russia is the party demanding the decision to end the fighting, stressing that Ukraine does not need anyone to convince it of the necessity of peace, and that long-term strikes in addition to international pressure constitute pressing factors to push Moscow towards real negotiations.
These developments on the ground coincide with the Ukrainian authorities announcing a power outage in seven regions, including the capital, Kiev, as a result of Russian strikes overnight and on Friday morning that targeted the energy infrastructure. On the other hand, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced, according to TASS, the destruction of 21 Ukrainian drones in Russian airspace during daylight hours.
It is noteworthy that the Wall Street Journal had reported that Ukraine had suspended its attacks on Russian oil refineries in late October until after the US midterm elections, on the condition that Moscow refrained from targeting the Ukrainian energy sector. This came after President Trump announced, on October 11, that a truce had been suddenly reached in the energy sector between the two countries. However, Trump criticized Kiev’s resumption of its attacks, describing them as “shameful” and contributing to raising global energy prices.
With this development, mutual strikes on oil installations return to the forefront of the field scene between Russia and Ukraine, in light of Kiev’s adherence to its military operations and the continued Russian targeting of energy networks, despite international efforts and American pressure aimed at containing the escalation.
