Ukraine Says It Will Hit Russia’s Precious
Oil Refineries Even if the US Tells It Not To
Chris Panella / Business Insider

(March 24, 2024) — Ukraine says it will target Russian oil refineries if it wants to, calling them legitimate military targets, after the US reportedly urged it not to over concerns about rising oil prices and the potential for retaliation.

Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure in recent months, conducting long-range drone strikes on some of its biggest oil refineries. The consequences have included decreased production, rising prices, and damage to military industrial capacity.

Now, as the Financial Times reported on Friday, the US is urging Ukraine to avoid targeting these facilities, with officials in Washington raising concerns that continued attacks will drive up global oil prices, which would reflect poorly on the Biden administration just before the 2024 election.

The US also reportedly expressed concerns that the strikes on the key Russian industry might provoke retaliation from Russia against energy facilities that Western nations rely on.

Shortly after the Financial Times report, a Ukrainian government official responded publicly, saying that Ukraine would continue to strike oil refineries.

According to Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna, officials in Kyiv believe that the refineries are “absolutely legitimate targets from a military point of view.”

“We understand the calls of our American partners,” she said. “At the same time, we are fighting with the capabilities, resources and practices that we have.”

Russia has not shied away from conducting strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Just Friday, Russian forces unleashed a massive attack consisting of drones and missiles, the largest since the war began, that cut electricity and power to multiple cities and urban centers. The strike also included an attack on the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station.

Ukraine’s recent strikes against Russia’s energy infrastructure have been quite effective. More than 10 major refineries and depots have been damaged, and oil prices have spiked in recent weeks. A large attack just last week hit multiple refineries, causing massive damage.

The strategy, a Ukrainian official said at the time, was “to deprive the enemy of resources and reduce the flow of oil money and fuel.” These attacks threaten a key economic lifeline for Russia, as well as a critical war resource.

At an energy conference earlier this week, Gunvor Group CEO Torbjörn Törnqvist said that about 600,000 barrels of Russia’s daily oil-refining capacity had been affected by Ukraine’s drone strikes.

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