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Morning Edition · Friday, October 16, 2026Published at 1:18 AM EDT · New York
Zelensky says Ukraine will resume strikes on Russian refineries as Trump says the war will be settled without him
Reuters reports that the order slowing Starlink service for Ukraine's military on October 14 came from within the White House and disrupted mid-range strike and interceptor drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said publicly that he will act against a direct US request. In an interview with the Financial Times, reported by The New York Times, he said Ukraine will resume strikes on Russian oil refineries. He had paused the strikes to comply with a demand from Washington, and he expressed open frustration with the United States.
President Donald Trump answered in an interview with Newsmax. The Russian business daily Kommersant led with his statement that the conflict will eventually be settled, but without Zelensky. Ukrainian outlets emphasized a different line from the same interview, in which Trump said he is "not a big fan of Zelensky" and called him "not a good guy" for Washington to deal with. Russian state broadcaster RT highlighted Trump's claim that US missiles supplied to Ukraine were sold on the "open market". Each outlet chose the line that best supports its government's position. All three statements come from the same interview.
Washington has also applied pressure through technology rather than only through statements. Reuters reported, according to the Kyiv Independent, that the order to restrict Starlink access for Ukraine's military came from within the White House. On October 14 the service began cutting connections, without warning, for terminals moving faster than 160 kilometers per hour. The cap disrupted active operations with mid-range strike drones and interceptor drones. Ukrainian officials also told media that Patriot interceptor stocks are again critically low as Russia increases attacks on energy infrastructure before winter.
Neither side's campaign against the other's home front has stopped. On Thursday evening Russia's aviation authority restricted flights at Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo, which closed all four Moscow airports. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses destroyed 37 drones flying toward the capital. Ukraine reported that a Russian drone set an oil depot on fire in the Khmelnytskyi region.
Part of a tracked trend
Ukraine's Deep Strikes on Russian Energy and Logistics
Ukraine sustains a campaign against Russian refineries and supply lines over the next 3-6 months, pressuring Moscow's oil revenue while Russia retaliates against Ukraine's grid.
Veracity: Plausible
72/100- If true, who benefits
If Washington is limiting Ukraine's strikes, Russian refiners and exporters and US fuel buyers before the midterms gain from steadier diesel supply, and Ukraine's domestic drone makers gain from Kyiv's push to depend less on US-controlled systems.
- The nuance
Reuters, citing US and Western officials, says the October 14 speed cap came from within the White House, but a senior administration official told Axios the White House had no role. Elon Musk says the military Starshield service is owned by the US government, with its limits set by the military and "ultimately POTUS," so neither the person who gave the order nor its purpose is confirmed.
An open-source-intelligence read of how likely this story is true with its real nuance, not a judgment of any outlet. It assesses the claim, weighing independent and adversarial reporting. How we label confidence.
Synthesized from: The New York Times · Kommersant · Kyiv Independent · Polylog editors
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