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Ukraine pressed ahead with attacks on Russian energy and industrial sites on Saturday despite US President Donald Trump’s calls to halt refinery strikes, as Kyiv reported the restoration of satellite services whose restrictions had strained relations with Washington.
Russian authorities said the attacks cut power to parts of Crimea and Russian-held Ukrainian regions. Kyiv also reported striking a petrochemical plant, a factory making missile components and an aircraft at a Russian airfield.
The offensive continued as Washington pursued fresh negotiations with Moscow and Kyiv. A local ceasefire announced on Friday, coordinated with the involvement of US first lady Melania Trump, is due to begin in Russian-held Oleshky on October 27.
The developments show military operations continuing alongside limited diplomatic progress. The Oleshky agreement provides for aid deliveries and civilian evacuations, but broader differences over territory remain unresolved.
KYIV KEEPS PRESSURE ON RUSSIAN INFRASTRUCTURE
Trump has pressed Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries while announcing an agreement to buy Russian diesel. Kyiv has criticised the deal and US measures easing pressure on Moscow.
Saturday’s attacks showed Ukraine continuing its campaign against energy and industrial infrastructure despite that pressure.
Russia’s Energy Ministry said strikes disrupted electricity supplies in parts of Crimea and Russian-controlled areas of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk. It did not say how many people were affected. Repair crews were working to restore supplies, while temporary cuts were imposed to keep the grid stable.
Inside Russia, the reported targets extended from industrial facilities to sites Kyiv says support weapons production.
Ukraine’s General Staff said it struck the Togliattikauchuk petrochemical plant, one of Russia’s largest synthetic rubber producers. Togliatti Mayor Ilya Sukhikh confirmed damage to several industrial facilities but did not identify them. Preliminary reports indicated no casualties.
Kyiv also reported hitting the Proton electronics plant in the Oryol region, which it says makes components for cruise and ballistic missiles. Regional Governor Andrei Klychkov said three people were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on Friday, describing the target as a civilian facility without naming it.
Further east, Omsk Governor Vitaly Khotsenko said drones attacked an industrial zone. He gave no damage assessment or details of the facilities targeted. The southwestern Siberian region houses a Gazprom Neft oil refinery.
Ukraine also said it hit an aircraft at the Yeysk airfield in southern Russia. Local authorities confirmed an attack in the area but reported only minor damage to two apartment buildings.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it destroyed 1,297 drones, a French-made SCALP cruise missile and four Ukrainian Neptune missiles over the previous 24 hours. It also said Russian drones struck Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Chornomorsk and a cargo vessel bound for Odesa overnight.
SATELLITE RESTORATION EASES ONE SOURCE OF FRICTION
As the attacks continued, Ukraine said Starlink and Starshield were operating normally again after more than a week of restrictions that hampered drone interceptions and forced some military operations to be cancelled.
“The main thing for today is that Starlink and Starshield have resumed operations at their pre-restriction speeds. The speeds are now at the level we need,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said connections remained stable on platforms travelling above 400 kilometres per hour. The restrictions had capped operations at 160 kph.
The restoration matters for frontline communications and drone operations. Starlink is central to battlefield connectivity, while Starshield supports medium-range attack drones.
Ukraine does not, however, rely on either system for long-range drone strikes inside Russia, including attacks on refineries. Their restoration therefore does not explain Saturday’s offensive.
The restrictions had become a source of anger in Kyiv because they coincided with Trump’s Russian diesel agreement and his pressure to stop refinery attacks. Trump has defended the deal as a way to keep fuel prices down and Moscow engaged in negotiations.
Neither Elon Musk nor the US government has acknowledged responsibility for restricting the systems. Reuters reported that the order to restrict Starshield came from inside the White House.
Restoring the services removes an immediate operational problem for Ukraine, while the disagreement over economic pressure on Russia remains.
A LOCAL PAUSE, BUT NO WIDER SETTLEMENT
The diplomatic opening is narrower than a general ceasefire. Ukraine and Russia have agreed to temporarily stop military operations in Oleshky to allow food deliveries, road clearance and civilian evacuations.
Both sides acknowledged Melania Trump’s role in coordinating the arrangement. The town, across the Dnipro River from Ukrainian-held Kherson, has faced a worsening food crisis. The White House said 1,700 to 2,000 residents remained, down from about 24,000 before the war.
Saturday’s strikes took place before the pause is due to begin and outside the scope of that local agreement.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators planned technical-level meetings in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November. A US official said the talks could take place in Abu Dhabi or Switzerland.
But the dispute that stalled earlier US-led talks remains. Russia demands that Ukraine surrender all of Donbas, including territory Moscow does not control. Kyiv rejects giving up land it holds.
For now, the Oleshky agreement offers a limited humanitarian pause, while Ukraine’s continued strikes and Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian ports show that neither side has halted its wider military campaign.
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(With inputs from Reuters)
