The attack followed a senior Ukrainian official's pledge to the Financial Times that Kyiv would continue its strikes: “We will burn [Russian] refineries.” The newspaper reported that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner raised the possibility of cutting intelligence sharing during Friday's Miami talks unless Ukraine halted refinery attacks. A US official denied that such a threat was made. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to stop attacking Russian refineries if Moscow stops striking Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the tanker Minerva Zen is approaching the US East Coast after leaving St. Petersburg on Sept. 22 with about 280,000 barrels of diesel and gasoil, Vortexa data show. Windward's tracking indicates a possible US delivery, with arrival estimated in 48 to 72 hours, though the vessel has not disclosed a destination since departure. Treasury's sanctions license authorizes Russian diesel transactions, including US imports, through April 7, 2027.