Strikes on vessels in exchange for oil refineries: Putin criticized the ceasefire proposal

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the proposal to halt attacks on vessels in the Black Sea in exchange for Ukraine refraining from attacks on Russian oil refineries absurd. He said this on October 1 during a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, UNN reports.

Details

This concerns a possible mutual moratorium on attacks against civilian shipping and energy infrastructure, which has been discussed in recent months with the participation of Ukraine, Russia, the United States and Turkey. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Moscow was not ready for a separate halt to attacks on vessels transporting agricultural products through the Black Sea. According to him, Russia insisted that Ukraine, in return, stop attacks on Russian oil refineries and pipelines. The Ukrainian leader  then emphasized that the grain corridor and Russia’s energy infrastructure were not comparable targets. He noted that halting Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries would be possible only if attacks on Ukraine’s energy system were mutually halted.

In September, the United States also proposed a mutual moratorium on Russian and Ukrainian attacks against energy infrastructure. The Kremlin publicly supported the idea, but said that the safety of commercial shipping, particularly Russian oil tankers, also needed to be guaranteed and that sanctions against Russia’s energy sector needed to be eased. However, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s statements about an alleged agreement to halt attacks on energy facilities, neither Kyiv nor Moscow has officially confirmed such an agreed regime. Attacks on energy infrastructure by both sides continued.

Additionally

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its long-range attacks on Russian oil-refining facilities, which Kyiv considers legitimate military targets because of their role in supplying fuel to the Russian army. In particular, on September 25, the Perm oil refinery, one of the largest in Russia, halted operations following a drone attack.

At the same time, Russia continues systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy, port and other critical infrastructure. There is currently no final agreement either on an energy truce or on halting attacks against shipping in the Black Sea.

Reminder

A little earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin was looking for excuses to avoid meeting and ending the war.