Ukraine Should Keep Striking Russian Refineries, Kellogg Says

Ukraine should continue its long-range strikes against Russian oil refineries, while Moscow’s proposal to supply diesel to international markets is likely an attempt to relieve pressure on its energy sector, retired General Keith Kellogg, former US special envoy for Ukraine, said in an interview with Fox News. Kellogg stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely has ulterior motives in arranging diesel shipments to the US and global markets, arguing that Moscow is attempting to halt Ukrainian interdiction operations against its domestic petrochemical infrastructure.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “I would tell Vladimir Putin: thank you very much, that really helps us. But I would look at the ulterior motives behind why he’s arranging diesel shipments to the US and to the international market,” Kellogg said. According to Kellogg, the Kremlin hopes Washington will use ongoing diplomatic negotiations over ending the war to pressure Kyiv into suspending the strikes. He added that he distrusts both Putin and Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s special representative for economic affairs. “The Russians are trying to tell the Ukrainians and the Americans: enough attacking our oil refineries,” Kellogg said. “The Ukrainians will not do this; they will continue attacking, as they should. This is a military operation, this is a war – and they are attacking correctly.” Kellogg also emphasized the fundamental difference between Ukrainian and Russian targeting strategies. He noted that Ukrainian forces target facilities of the Russian military-industrial complex, whereas Russian forces strike civilian infrastructure, including schools and churches. Other Topics of Interest Putin’s Vile Chess Putin’s war has become a deadly chess trap as Ukraine’s resilience, deep strikes and growing Western support leave every Kremlin move worsening Russia’s position further. By sustaining strikes against industrial nodes inside Russian, Ukraine brings the reality of the war to Russian territory, Kellogg noted, adding that he doubts the Russian military has the operational capacity to capture the remainder of Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Trump defends diesel arrangement Kellogg’s assessment comes amid growing debate in Washington following US President Donald Trump’s defense of a bilateral commercial agreement with Putin to supply Russian diesel to US and global buyers. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Trump defended the arrangement and criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming the Ukrainian leadership is causing disruptions for global agricultural and commercial transport markets. “He wants to make problems for the world, for our farmers with diesel,” Trump told reporters, speaking roughly a month before the US midterm elections as domestic diesel prices surpassed $6 per gallon. Trump reiterated his calls for political change in Kyiv, asserting that Zelensky had opportunities to reach a settlement. “Zelensky could have settled this war many, many times, but he chooses not to,” Trump said. “I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.” The commercial diesel agreement was announced on Friday, Oct. 9, following a phone call between Trump and Putin, coinciding with multilateral talks in Miami where US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian and European negotiators. Zelensky described the timing of the Miami consultations as a “smokescreen” for the bilateral energy deal. Sanctions waivers, energy warfare, and refinery damage Under the terms announced by Trump, Moscow agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel, scaling up to 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons thereafter, with prospective deliveries reaching 3 million tons depending on refinery operations. To facilitate the shipments, the US Treasury Department issued a temporary general license authorizing transactions involving Russian diesel through April 7, 2027. The waiver was granted shortly before the administration was scheduled to implement statutory penalties under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which mandates tariffs and sanctions on buyers of Russian petroleum. Energy infrastructure remains a focal point in the conflict. Ukrainian drone strikes have damaged primary distillation and refining units across Russia, idling approximately 40 percent of Russia’s refining capacity and forcing Moscow to enact domestic fuel export bans. While Washington has urged Kyiv to unilaterally halt strikes on Russian refineries to stabilize consumer fuel benchmarks, Ukrainian officials have rejected the demand. Kyiv has proposed a mutual energy armistice – agreeing to halt refinery strikes only if Russia ceases attacks against Ukraine’s electricity grid and heating plants – a framework that has not been adopted by Moscow or incorporated into the White House’s commercial arrangement. 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.