Ukraine's allies have asked Kyiv to suspend its drone attacks on Russian oil refineries due to the rise in global crude oil prices caused by the war. We are receiving certain signals in this regard, Budanov said, without providing further details or revealing the countries that have asked Ukraine for this pause. In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone attacks on energy infrastructure in Russia. Last night, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, about 350 kilometers east of Moscow, its drones struck two refineries in the Nizhny Novgorod region and an oil pipeline in the Leningrad region, on the Baltic Sea coast. Kyiv considers these facilities legitimate military targets because they supply the Russian troops and allow the Kremlin to finance the war machine. At the end of March, Ukraine also attacked an oil refinery in Saratov, which processes oil and produces fuels and lubricants used by the Russian army. It is one of the oldest in Russia, and in 2023 its processing volume reached 4.8 million tons. It also attacked Russia's third-largest refinery in Kirishi, also in the Leningrad region, in March. Minimizing Russia's ability to export oil is a crucial part for Ukraine, especially after the US temporarily relaxed sanctions on Russian oil sales due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the KSE Institute, the sudden increase in global fuel prices could significantly boost Russia's economy after its oil revenues were cut in half in the first two months of 2026 and state finances came under increasing pressure. According to the least optimistic scenario for Ukraine, Russia could get up to $252 billion in additional revenue in 2026, including $151 billion in additional budget revenues. «Let's respond to this diplomatically».
