Zelensky seeks European backing after Ukraine resumes Russian refinery strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought backing from European allies on Thursday, France 24 reports. He did so after vowing to resume strikes on Russian oil refineries despite U.S. President Donald Trump's demands. France 24 says tensions with Washington have grown over sanctions, attacks on energy infrastructure and restrictions on satellite communications.

Ukraine says it is resuming the strikes because Russia never stopped its own attacks, according to PBS NewsHour and NBC News. PBS says Trump demanded an "energy ceasefire" last Sunday. Al Jazeera quotes Zelensky saying Kyiv is "done" with it. The New York Times says he spoke in an interview with The Financial Times, and that he had paused the strikes to meet a U.S. demand.

Ukrainian drones hit a refinery in Russia's Ryazan region early Thursday, NPR reports. BBC News and Al Jazeera say Russia reported the strike. The Hill, citing Reuters, says Russia's Defense Ministry and Ryazan Gov. Pavel Malkov posted about it on Telegram.

The Guardian says Russia sent a record swarm of drones overnight at infrastructure in central Ukraine. It says Moscow called the Ryazan attack Ukraine's first refinery strike since Trump's announcement. It also says the White House effort has collapsed. Trump wanted the strikes stopped because he blamed them for higher global diesel prices, the Guardian reports.

Accounts differ on why the truce failed. CNBC says Moscow did not keep its side of the proposed deal. The Guardian says neither Russia nor Ukraine had said they agreed to it. Deutsche Welle says Moscow ignored Trump's claim that a ceasefire had been agreed.