# Zelensky Plans More Strikes on Russian Refineries After Claiming Putin Expanded Target List in Ukraine

*Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 8:06 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-10-04T08:06:24.844Z (1h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Eastern Europe
**Importance**: 9/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/19644.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: President Volodymyr Zelensky told Reuters Ukraine will step up attacks on Russian oil refineries after Ukrainian intelligence obtained documents he says show Vladimir Putin authorised wider strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets.

Ukraine will intensify its attacks on Russian oil refineries in response to Moscow’s expanded strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky has told Reuters.

Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence services obtained documents indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised attacks against a broader range of infrastructure and civilian targets inside Ukraine. He said Kyiv would answer by hitting Russian energy assets that finance the war.

Ukraine has already carried out drone and missile strikes against refineries and fuel depots on Russian territory this year. Zelensky’s comments to Reuters frame future attacks as part of a deliberate campaign to increase economic pressure on Russia when, according to his account, Moscow has widened its own list of targets.

His remarks came as Ukraine was absorbing another large wave of Russian strikes. The Air Force reported that Russia launched 135 UAVs overnight, including 52 jet-powered Shaheds. Ukrainian air defences said they downed or suppressed 123 of the drones plus two Banderol/Dan-T munitions, but impacts still occurred at five locations, with debris from intercepted weapons falling on five more.

On the ground, the consequences were visible across several regions. In Sumy, local authorities reported that Russian aircraft dropped five KAB glide bombs, injuring at least five people, two of them in serious condition, and damaging multi-storey residential buildings and cars. A separate Russian Geran-2 drone strike triggered a large fire in the city.

In Dnipro, regional officials said Russian forces attacked the city centre, starting a fire. A Geran-4 jet drone struck a data processing centre belonging to the Ukrtelecom telecommunications company, causing a large fire inside the building. In Odesa Oblast, footage shows Russian Geran-4 jet drones hitting a logistics centre in Chornomorsk and a data centre in Odesa City.

Zelensky portrays Russian energy assets as central to the Kremlin’s ability to pay for weapons and sustain its campaign. Strikes on refineries inside Russia can damage facilities that convert crude oil into fuels for civilian and military use. Past hits have forced Russian authorities to repair plants and manage the impact on domestic supplies and exports.

A stepped-up Ukrainian campaign against refineries could push Russia to strengthen air defences around industrial sites deep in its territory, potentially pulling systems away from the front. It also risks provoking further Russian volleys against Ukrainian power grids and cities, especially if Moscow treats strikes on its energy infrastructure as justification for its own broader targeting.

Ukraine is seeking extra help to withstand those barrages. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz travelled to Kyiv on 4 October on an unannounced visit, according to German and international media. He is expected, according to dpa, to announce rapid deliveries of interceptors for use against Russian jet-powered drones and German support for Ukrainian long-range weapons production, financed by €1 billion in already approved funds. Another €350 million is planned for repairing and restoring destroyed power infrastructure.

Zelensky’s stated plan to hit more Russian refineries underlines how the war is moving deeper into energy systems on both sides.

Indicators to track now include reports of new fires or outages at Russian refinery complexes, any observable redeployment of Russian air defences toward industrial regions, the pace of German air-defence and funding deliveries to Ukraine, and evidence that Russian strikes on Ukrainian power and communications infrastructure are expanding in response.