80% of Ukrainians Back Refinery Strikes Despite US Aid Risk

Four in five Ukrainians believe Ukraine should keep striking Russian oil refineries even if the United States cuts or limits assistance, according to a poll released on Wednesday, Oct. 28.The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published the findings in a report examining public attitudes toward energy strikes, wartime endurance and Ukraine’s leadership.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The question presented respondents with a specific scenario: Washington demands an end to Ukrainian refinery attacks and threatens to withdraw assistance, including intelligence and Starlink support, while Russia makes no commitments to stop attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian facilities.Under those conditions, 80% supported continuing the strikes. Only 11% favored stopping them, while 8% were undecided. KIIS noted that percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.Most favor resistance despite winter blackoutsThe poll also found that 76% supported continuing armed resistance even if Russian attacks leave people temporarily without electricity, heating and sewage services during winter.By contrast, 15% favored accepting any Russian demands under those circumstances, even if the terms amounted to capitulation. Another 9% were undecided.KIIS said attitudes on this question had not changed significantly since its August-September survey, despite renewed attacks and growing pressure on Ukraine.Asked how much longer they could endure the war, 63% said they were prepared to continue for as long as necessary. Another 5% named roughly a year, while 21% chose a period ranging from several months to six months. The remaining 11% were undecided. Other Topics of Interest Russia May Use Oleshky Truce to Rebuild Forces – ISW The US-based think tank questions whether Oleshky residents will be able to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory freely under the humanitarian evacuation deal. “Ukrainians, despite everything, have the will to continue the resistance until an acceptable outcome is achieved in the war,” KIIS executive director Anton Hrushetskyi wrote in his commentary.Dispute with Washington over refinery attacksThe findings come amid a confrontation over Ukraine’s campaign against Russian oil infrastructure and Washington’s efforts to expand Russian fuel exports.On Oct. 9, US President Donald Trump announced a diesel agreement with Putin, followed by a US Treasury license authorizing transactions involving Russian diesel. Trump presented the arrangement as a way to reduce fuel prices.Zelensky criticized the decision, while Trump continued pressing Kyiv to stop attacking Russian refineries. The dispute placed Ukraine’s ability to disrupt Russian fuel production alongside its dependence on US military support.In an Oct. 18 interview, Zelensky said he had proposed a halt to refinery strikes in exchange for additional Patriot missiles to protect Ukrainian facilities.He said Washington wanted the strikes stopped without agreeing to provide the additional interceptors. He also accused the US of delaying deliveries of Patriots Europe had already paid for and of restricting satellite communications to pressure Kyiv.Zelensky says energy ceasefire failedSpeaking in The Hague on Oct. 28, Zelensky said the proposed energy ceasefire had failed because Russia continued attacking Ukrainian infrastructure after Kyiv supported Trump’s proposal.He said Russian forces launched a major attack on Ukrainian energy facilities the following day, prompting Ukrainian retaliation.Zelensky’s account described the absence of the reciprocal restraint addressed in the poll’s refinery question: Respondents were asked whether Ukraine should stop its attacks while Russia remained free to continue its own.The consequences of the refinery campaign have also been visible inside Russia. Authorities have lifted fuel sales restrictions in 15 regions as supplies improved, although purchase limits and disruptions remained elsewhere.Fuel availability continued to vary across the country, with some regions maintaining restrictions on sales or filling portable containers.How the survey was conductedKIIS interviewed 828 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older by telephone between Oct. 16 and 25, using randomly generated mobile numbers and statistical weighting.The sample covered government-controlled territory. It excluded people living under Russian occupation and Ukrainians who moved abroad after Feb. 24, 2022, while including some internally displaced respondents.The institute reported a maximum formal sampling error of 4.4 percentage points under normal conditions and warned that wartime circumstances could introduce additional systematic bias. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.