Under pressure from allies: should Ukraine stop strikes on Russian refineries?

Ukraine has come under pressure from foreign allies to stop attacks on Russia’s oil refining infrastructure over fears of rising world prices. US and European partners argue that this is due to instability in the energy market.

Politician and former military serviceman Volodymyr Omelyan considers this position unfair, as it does not take into account the daily losses of Ukrainians at the front.

“That is, oil is expensive for some people, and for others, there are a lot of deaths every day,” he noted, emphasizing that Ukraine must adhere to its own strategy, since the threat to the existence of the state outweighs the financial risks of its allies.

According to Omelyan, Russia is currently trying to gain an advantage by using the situation around Iran and fluctuations in fuel prices. Although Western support remains critically important for defense, Kyiv is forced to seek a balance between the demands of partners and the need to destroy the economic potential of the aggressor, the politician is convinced.

At the same time, he noted that despite the successful hits, it is too early to talk about a large-scale crisis in the Russian oil sector. Moscow is increasing the shipment of raw materials through ports that Ukrainian weapons cannot yet reach, which requires further development of its own technologies, Volodymyr Omelyan added.

It recently became known that some international partners have appealed to Ukraine to refrain from strikes on Russian oil refineries . The reason for this was the global increase in energy prices against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East.

As a reminder, on the night of April 5, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a number of facilities of the Russian aggressor, including an oil refinery, a port, and an aircraft equipment warehouse. As a result of the attacks, fires were recorded at some facilities, and the extent of the damage is being determined.

In addition, on April 5, a section of an oil pipeline near the port in Primorsk, Leningrad Oblast, Russia, was damaged by a drone attack. It was also reported that the Ukrainian military struck important Russian army facilities on April 1 and 2. An oil refinery in the deep rear of the Russian Federation, a training ground, and ammunition depots were hit .