Zelenskyy said Ukraine will intensify attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Why it matters: Refinery damage could tighten supplies of gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel and potentially reduce Russian fuel revenues and military logistics. Moscow has threatened broader strikes in response, increasing risks to civilian and energy infrastructure.
- Zelenskyy made the statement in a Kyiv interview conducted October 2 and published October 3, 2026.
- He said Ukrainian intelligence had documents showing Vladimir Putin authorized broader attacks on infrastructure, logistics, roads, schools and hospitals.
- Russia's Defense Ministry said October 4 it would intensify strikes on military and military-industrial facilities in Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions.
- Ukraine's presidential office says 15 Russian refineries were struck between January and May, with nearly 40% of primary refining capacity offline as of May; both figures remain unverified.
As of October 4, 2026: Ukraine's president said Kyiv intends to intensify attacks on Russian oil refineries. Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Reuters that Ukraine would "double down" on the strikes.
That is a stated intention, not independent evidence that the campaign has already expanded. Zelenskyy said the policy responds to what he called Moscow's new airstrike doctrine. He also said Ukrainian intelligence had obtained documents authorizing attacks on infrastructure, logistics, roads, schools and hospitals ahead of winter, with the aim of pressuring residents to leave Kyiv and other cities. The alleged documents have not been published or independently authenticated.
Russia's Defense Ministry said October 4 that it would intensify strikes on military and military-industrial facilities and related infrastructure in Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions. Russia says its attacks respond to Ukrainian strikes inside Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry also urged foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Kyiv, according to Associated Press reporting.
The strategic focus is refined petroleum, not crude production. Damage to processing units could reduce gasoline, diesel and aviation-fuel availability even if Russia continues producing and exporting crude. Longer outages could also reduce fuel sales, refined-product exports and tax receipts, while potentially complicating military logistics. The effects would depend on repairs, stockpiles, imports and spare capacity.
Kyiv describes refinery strikes as "long-range sanctions" intended to constrain military logistics and war financing, according to the Ukrainian presidential office. Its figures on refinery strikes and offline capacity are Ukrainian government claims and remain independently unverified.
By the numbers
- 15 refineries - The Ukrainian presidential office says this many were struck between January and May; the figure is unverified.
- Nearly 40% - The same office says this share of Russia's primary refining capacity was offline as of May; the figure is unverified.
Yes, but: The available refinery figures come from Ukraine's presidential office, not an independent assessment. The dossier does not establish the campaign's current scale or quantify any effect on Russian fuel revenues or military logistics.