Zelensky defends attacks on Russian refineries: ‘Our lives are more important than the price of energy’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared “our lives are more important than the price of energy” in an interview while defending his strikes against Russian oil refineries.

Speaking with the Wall Street Journal’s editor-in-chief Emma Tucker on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Zelensky responded when asked if President Trump pressed the Ukrainian President to cease strikes against Russian oil refineries amid growing diesel prices globally.

“Today we didn’t talk about it, but by phone, yes… we were at this topic about the diesel,” Zelensky said. “I said, look… our lives are more important than the price of energy.”

Zelensky said in the interview that he would only stop strikes if a ceasefire were established with Moscow. He later posted on social media that Kyiv is “ready for an energy ceasefire if they do not attack our energy system, our electricity, heating, and water supply” but that he was unsure if Russia was ready for this proposal.

Ukraine launched attacks on a refinery in Siberia on Thursday, creating fuel shortages in Russia and prompting Moscow to retaliate on urban gas stations. One attack focused on the city of Nizhnekamsk, which is the home of several key oil refineries, while another drone attack hit a crucial refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban in Russia’s Krasnodar region near Crimea.

Trump has blamed the attacks as a major reason global diesel prices soared this week with the average price of diesel sitting at $6.27 on Tuesday – the highest ever. Diesel is a primary fuel source for public transportation and the trucking industry and rising prices are expected to push up the cost of goods.

The president urged Zelensky earlier this month, “to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia.”

“There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting, that’s hurting the world,” Trump added.

Russian forces escalated its campaign against Ukraine with ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones striking Ukraine’s power grid ahead of the harsh winter season.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia in a statement of “systematically attacking places” where people frequent in order to “maximize casualties, spread fear, and put pressure on Ukrainian society.”