Ukraine halts refinery strikes under US pressure ahead of midterms, WSJ reports

Ukraine suspended strikes on Russian oil refineries following weeks of pressure from US President Donald Trump, who sought to contain rising fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The unofficial pause began in mid-October. Ukrainian units conducting long-range strikes were instructed to halt new missions against Russian refineries after completing operations already under way. The pause could extend into November, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with Ukrainian military operations.

Trump adviser Jared Kushner pressed Ukrainian officials to suspend refinery attacks for 30 days. Kyiv sought assurances that Russia would halt its own strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, or that Washington would supply additional Patriot air defence missiles. Neither proposal produced a breakthrough.

European allies also encouraged restraint, citing concerns about fuel costs and the state of relations between Kyiv and the White House. Trump had publicly called on President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop the refinery campaign, saying on 10 October: "He better damn well stop."

The reported suspension has not been independently confirmed.

Moscow continued attacking Ukrainian cities while the pause was in effect. On 29 October, a Russian drone struck a crowded railway platform in Dnipro, killing at least 14 people. Additional attacks struck other Ukrainian cities the same day. Zelensky warned Thursday that Ukrainian intelligence had identified preparations for further Russian ballistic missile strikes and called for additional Patriot interceptors.