Oct 17, Kathmandu - Ukraine launched a drone strike on a Russian oil refinery on Thursday, saying an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure had not been implemented.

The refinery is in Russia’s Ryazan region, about 300 kilometres southeast of Moscow. A fire broke out after the attack, according to Russia’s Defence Ministry and Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov. Russian online outlet Astra also published images of the blaze.

U.S. President Donald Trump urged both Russia and Ukraine on Sunday to stop striking energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had shown restraint in response, while Russia continued attacks on energy facilities. Ukraine has therefore resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries, he said.

Zelensky also said Ukraine had not received regular Western intelligence on Russian ballistic missile attacks in recent days. He added that restrictions had been placed on the use of the U.S. Starlink communications system, which he described as important to Ukraine’s military.

In an interview published Thursday by the Financial Times, Zelensky said Ukraine would restart attacks on Russian oil refineries. A senior Ukrainian official confirmed the strike on the Ryazan facility.

The incident could further strain relations between Kyiv and Washington. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described Ukraine’s attack as a direct challenge to Trump. The claims made by both sides could not be independently verified, the report said.

Zelensky also criticised Trump’s agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Russian diesel imports, saying it could help Russia continue its military campaign against Ukraine.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war have continued since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, but no substantial progress toward ending the conflict has been made.