Putin warns of intensified strikes on Ukraine after massive refinery drone attacks

Ukraine launched its largest drone offensive yet, striking nearly all of Russia’s oil refineries and damaging 27 of the 32 largest facilities, an effort that has been estimated to cost about $20 billion and to have pushed global diesel prices sharply higher. In a private conversation with U.S. officials, President Vladimir Putin said Russia will now “hit back” at Ukraine, signalling a new escalation. A U.S. official warned that the retaliation cannot be stopped and noted that both Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky are “closer than people think” to ending the war, though the fight over the Donetsk region remains a sticking point.

President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine to curb attacks on Russian energy sites, but Zelensky has rejected the call and warned that a harsh winter will force Ukraine to make Russia suffer as well. Diplomatic talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly involved figures such as special envoy Steve Witkoff, Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who discussed a limited ceasefire focused on grain and energy targets.