The US has asked Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian refineries, the British newspaper Financial Times reported, citing unnamed sources. According to them, Washington fears that drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure could lead to an increase in world oil prices and also provoke Moscow to take retaliatory actions. According to the Ukrainian station Hromadske, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanišynova said in response that, according to some officials, Russian refineries are a legitimate target of attacks from the point of view of the army.
According to information from the British newspaper, the American presidential administration has repeatedly turned to the Ukrainian secret service SBU and the Ukrainian military intelligence HUR with a request to stop the attacks.
Despite Western sanctions, Russia remains one of the main energy exporters. At the same time, oil prices on world markets rose this year and climbed to 85 dollars per barrel. As a result, fuel prices are rising, and this is in a situation where US President Joe Biden is running for another term, the FT noted.
“Nothing scares a sitting American president as much as a rise in fuel prices during an election year,” former White House energy adviser Bob McNally told the newspaper. Gasoline prices in the US have already risen by almost 15 percent this year, according to the FT.
According to the newspaper, the White House is also concerned that if Ukraine continues to attack Russian oil refineries or oil storage facilities, Russia could retaliate by attacking infrastructure on which the West depends. This applies, for example, to the Caspian Consortium (CPC) pipeline, which transports oil from Kazakhstan to world markets via Russia.
According to the British paper, Ukraine has recently stepped up its air attacks on Russia as it increases its drone capabilities. Since 2022, when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Ukraine has launched at least 12 major strikes against Russian refineries, according to the FT.
In addition, Ukraine also attacks oil terminals and oil storage facilities. The attacks are concentrated on the western part of Russia, but sometimes they also hit targets hundreds of kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Ukrainian officials claim that Ukraine has developed drones that can travel over 1,000 kilometers.
In connection with the article of the British newspaper, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Stefanišynova said that Ukraine responded to American challenges by “achieving its goals” and “with very successful operations.” “There are also statements by other official representatives that (the refineries) are absolutely legitimate targets from the military’s point of view. We understand the challenges of our American partners. But at the same time, we are fighting with the help of the possibilities, means and practices that are available to us,” she said.
The Kremlin has already responded to the FT report. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the US should rather call on Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian civilian targets. Russian authorities blame Ukrainian forces for shelling the Russian border. Recently, the Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine has faced intense attacks.
