Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Facilities as Trump Criticizes Zelensky

A large-scale Ukrainian drone assault on Russian infrastructure on October 18, 2026, struck oil facilities, a logistics center, and a data center in St. Petersburg, killing at least one person and injuring five others, according to Russian authorities. The attack intensified a dispute between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over military operations against Russian energy assets and the prospects for peace negotiations.

Russia's Defense Ministry said it intercepted more than 1,015 Ukrainian drones overnight across 15 Russian regions, the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, and the Black Sea. Authorities reported fires at the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal and the Ruchi oil depot, while Russian companies confirmed that a distribution facility operated by Ozon and a data center belonging to VK were also targeted.

The St. Petersburg Oil Terminal can handle up to 12.5 million tons annually. Ukraine's drone manufacturer Fire Point said a fire broke out at the terminal following the strike, while local officials reported damage to residential properties and casualties.

Trump criticized Zelensky in a Truth Social post on Sunday, accusing the Ukrainian leader of obstructing efforts to end the war. He also defended his decision to delay additional sanctions against Russia, arguing that maintaining diplomatic engagement was necessary to advance negotiations.

Trump wrote that he was "in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine," adding that he did not want to drive Russia away from negotiations.

The US president also claimed that "great progress is being made," including in ongoing hostage negotiations. He argued that Zelensky had missed an opportunity to secure better terms earlier in the conflict and criticized Ukraine's continued attacks on Russian oil infrastructure.

Zelensky rejected the suggestion that Ukraine was unwilling to pursue peace. In an interview with NBC News' Meet the Press, he warned that Washington siding with Moscow would have serious consequences for US credibility and support for Ukraine.

"People want to forget what's going on. But we can't give this possibility to forget, or to change reality, or to change the truth," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president emphasized the distinction between the two countries' roles in the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion. He said Ukraine was defending its territory against Russian forces and expressed hope that Trump would maintain a clear position on the invasion.

"We can't compare me and Putin. He's aggressor. He occupied us.

He killed adults and children, his soldiers. He's a terrorist, and that's why I hope that President Trump will be very clear with this position," Zelensky said.

Zelensky also argued that easing restrictions on Russian diesel exports would strengthen Moscow's ability to sustain its military campaign. Trump had previously waived sanctions affecting Russian diesel exports and invoked a waiver on Friday exempting Russia from sweeping economic penalties mandated by Congress, drawing criticism from some Republicans.

Ukraine has continued targeting Russian energy infrastructure as part of its effort to reduce Moscow's access to revenue and fuel for its military operations. The strikes have become a major point of disagreement between Kyiv and Washington, particularly after Trump said the two sides had agreed to stop attacking each other's energy facilities.

Neither Ukraine nor Russia publicly acknowledged such an agreement. Zelensky said Russia had continued attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite Washington's announcement.

"Since the American President announced the energy ceasefire a week ago, Russia has deliberately attacked Ukraine's energy and oil and gas sectors 76 times," Zelensky wrote on X on Sunday.

Ukrainian authorities said Russian missile and drone attacks killed 11 people and injured nearly 50 across Ukraine in the 24 hours before Sunday morning. The attacks included strikes on energy facilities in the Odesa region, while officials in Zaporizhzhia reported that a woman was killed and a 6-year-old girl was among at least two other people wounded in separate Russian attacks.

Questions over US intelligence sharing and military technology have added to the dispute. Zelensky said intelligence sharing between Washington and Kyiv had resumed after being blocked for a period, while Ukrainian officials raised concerns that restrictions involving the Starlink satellite network had affected drone operations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that Washington deliberately withheld early warnings about Russian missile attacks or ordered Starlink speeds to be reduced. Rubio said the disruption was not intentional and that the satellite service had returned to its previous operating level.

Zelensky said he also held discussions on Sunday with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about diplomatic efforts and follow-up steps after an October 9 meeting between US and Ukrainian negotiating teams in Miami.

Separately, a possible meeting involving Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping has raised questions about future diplomatic efforts. Rubio said discussions about such a summit had taken place but that no meeting had been finalized.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the possibility of a meeting involving the three leaders had been mentioned but said no concrete proposals or agreements had been made. China's Foreign Ministry said it had no information to share about the proposed gathering.