Ukraine says it will target Russian oil refineries in response to new Russian airstrike doctrine

Ukraine’s president announced that Kyiv will intensify attacks on Russian oil refineries as a direct response to a newly articulated Russian policy of broader airstrikes. The decision follows the release of Ukrainian intelligence documents that outline a shift in Moscow’s targeting criteria.

According to the documents, Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a “new doctrine” that expands permissible targets to include a wide range of civilian infrastructure such as logistics hubs, roads, schools and hospitals. The stated aim of the doctrine is to pressure residents to abandon Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will focus its retaliation on Russian refineries while explicitly avoiding attacks on civilians. He emphasized that the forthcoming strikes will be directed at facilities he deems militarily relevant, not at non‑combatant populations.

The Russian government did not provide comment on the matter. In a separate statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry urged foreign nationals to leave Kyiv and asserted that Moscow would continue systematic strikes in retaliation for recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. Both Kyiv and Moscow maintain that they are not deliberately targeting civilians.

Zelensky also highlighted progress in Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive, code‑named “Vivaldi,” which he said has reclaimed roughly 140 square kilometres of the eastern Donbas region. The conflict remains marked by mutual accusations of civilian targeting, though each side denies intentional attacks on non‑combatants.