Zelenskiy: Ukraine will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries, but will not target civilians

Ukraine will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries in response to a new policy of airstrikes by Moscow designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other cities, but will not target civilians, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview with Reuters.

Driving the shift in policy, Zelenskiy said, ”was Putin’s desire to appear strong at a time when his military was losing ground in a key frontline region and sustaining higher levels of casualties”.

In a statement urging foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would continue to systematically hit targets in what it said were retaliatory strikes for Ukrainian attacks on Russia in recent months.

Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians.

Zelenskiy said a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, code-named “Vivaldi”, had recaptured around 140 sq km (54 sq miles) of Ukrain’s eastern Donbas region and was still ongoing. Russia has said it must control Donbas in its entirety as a condition for any peace deal.

“We have to respond in any way (we can). With their attacks on our energy, we have to respond on their energy. First of all, oil refiners etc: what gives money to them for this war,” Zelenskiy said․

Zelenskiy added he would be happy to meet Putin for peace talks at the G20, but he warned the US not to believe in “illusions” that Russia would simply end hostilities if it gained control of Donbas.