“Western partners must support Ukrainian responses.” Zelensky on criticism of attacks on Russian refineries

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky believes that Western partners should support attacks on Russian infrastructure in response to shelling of Ukrainian territories.

At a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, the Ukrainian leader, among other things, commented on the UN call to stop attacks on civilian infrastructure in Russia afterdrone strikes in Tatarstan.

Zelensky thanked “various international organizations that constantly condemn something.” He invited representatives of these organizations to come to Kharkov, which Russian troops regularly shell, and then “condemn something.”

It seems to me that in order to ultimately understand how to survive in Kharkov, how people can live without light, without water, people probably need to come, look, and then judge something or not. Russia understands nothing except force.

And all the condemnations regarding the illegal occupation of our territory, attacks on our energy sector, the blackouts that we experienced during these two years, the undermining of our infrastructure, hydroelectric power plants... All these condemnations did not lead to a decrease in attacks by the Russian Federation.

This shows that these people only understand when there is a powerful response, which is why I believe that our Western partners should support Ukrainian responses.

• Since the beginning of 2024, Ukrainian drones have carried out more than 10 attacks on Russian oil refineries and oil storage facilities. At least seven Russian refineries shut down oil refining capacity due to Ukrainian drone attacks in the first quarter of 2024, according to a Reuters tally .
• The Financial Times wrote that the United States called on Ukraine to stop attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure. According to the publication, Washington fears that drone strikes on Russian refineries could lead to an increase in world oil prices, as well as provoke retaliatory measures from Moscow.
• Zelensky previously said that the United States does not support Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. He claimed that Ukraine used its own drones during such attacks.