©Picture : picture alliance / ROPI | POU
40% of Russian oil exports are now at a standstill. Now, in the face of the global energy crisis, Ukraine's allies want the country to limit its drone strikes against enemy refineries.
In an exchange with journalists relayed by the Ukrainian news agency RBC-Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that he was under pressure from his international allies. They are asking him to reduce his strikes against Russian energy installations. During the exchange, he made a point of stressing that the intensification of these operations was only a proportionate response to the Kremlin's offensives.
The head of state added: "We don't just strike; we react. Recently, in the wake of the global energy crisis, some of our partners have offered us suggestions as to how to reduce our actions against the Russian oil and energy sector." While Kiev maintains operational pressure, Volodymyr Zelensky has made it clear that he wishes to avoid endless escalation. The Ukrainian leader suggests a reciprocal de-escalation aimed at protecting each side's energy and power infrastructure.
The effort, according to Kiev, must be mutual. "We are ready to discuss any kind of ceasefire: a total ceasefire, an energy ceasefire, a ceasefire covering food and energy security, i.e. both the sea and the sky," said the President. According to the RBC-Ukraine agency, such an objective could be achieved provided that missile and drone launches are halted and the targeting of strategic installations is prohibited. This truce offer comes at a time when the Middle East conflict and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz are shaking up world energy markets.
Volodymyr Zelensky continued his statement by remaining open: "If the Russians are ready, so are we. Let them propose it at any time, we are ready to solve this problem." As long as no mutual agreement is signed, aimed at protecting civilian energy systems, Kiev reaffirms its legitimate right to respond to the Russian offensive.
The intensification of the Ukrainian drone campaign is bearing fruit: today, almost 40% of Russia's oil export capacity has been paralyzed. Thanks to surgical strikes, notably against Primorsk and Ust-Luga (platforms in the Baltic Sea), Ukraine is having a profound impact on the Russian regime's logistics and finances.
(Sarah Lavigne with Selma Keshkire /©The Press Junction 2026/Picture: picture alliance / ROPI | POU)