Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained why ships carrying Russian diesel fuel bound for the United States are not attacked by Ukraine. According to Ukrainska Pravda, citing Ukrinform, Zelenskyy stated that such vessels are not hit “because they are ships tied to the United States”. His statement was made during a meeting with journalists.

This clarification follows news from October 27, which reported three tankers with approximately 140,000 tons of Russian diesel fuel en route to the USA. These shipments are reportedly the result of an agreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. It was also reported that one of the tankers is under sanctions imposed by the European Union.

Zelenskyy nevertheless reiterated that the Ukrainian army has no orders to refrain from responding to Russian strikes, although it has been exercising greater caution recently. He cited operations against the Ryazan refinery, data centers, and Russian ballistic missile areas as examples of previous Ukrainian responses.

The Ukrainian President expressed hope that future Ukrainian responses would be significant for Russia. This strategy balances the need for defense with geopolitical considerations, particularly regarding relations with the United States concerning fuel shipments.