Ukraine's Defense Minister Advised Refinery Strike Pause, Sources Tell WSJ, as Russian Attacks Kill at Least 20

Since Trump announced a Russian diesel purchase deal on Oct. 9, Ukraine's refinery campaign has moved from open defiance to a reported quiet pause, and new detail has emerged about who made the call and what Kyiv asked for in return.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, Oct. 29, citing people familiar with Ukrainian military operations, that long-range strike units were told in mid-October to finish missions already underway and then stand down on Russian refineries. The pause is expected to last through the Nov. 3 midterm elections and possibly deeper into November. Kyiv has made no official announcement, and the report has not been independently confirmed.

Who made the call

According to a person familiar with the matter, Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara advised President Volodymyr Zelensky that suspending refinery strikes was prudent given the sensitive diplomatic situation. Zelensky agreed, the source said, but stressed that the military remains free to resume attacks if it judges that necessary.

Two military officials separately said units were informed of the stand-down in mid-October.

That is a reported internal instruction, not a public policy. No Ukrainian official has stood behind it on the record.

The Kushner ask

The WSJ also reported that Jared Kushner, a Trump adviser, pressed Ukrainian officials to halt refinery attacks for 30 days as a gesture of appreciation for Washington's efforts to negotiate an end to the war.

Kyiv wanted something back. It asked for assurances that Russia would stop hitting Ukrainian energy infrastructure, or for additional Patriot air defense missiles from Washington. Neither request produced a breakthrough, the report said.

European allies also urged Ukraine to show restraint, citing concern over fuel costs and the state of relations between Kyiv and the White House.

Why Washington cares

Trump has tied the strikes to fuel prices. On Oct. 10 he said of Ukraine's refinery attacks, "He better damn well stop," according to an earlier WSJ report. Diesel has hit record highs, and the November 3 midterms will decide control of both chambers of Congress. Diesel powers freight, farming and transport, so it feeds into food and goods prices.

The administration's approach has had two parts. It pressed Kyiv to stop, and it announced a deal to buy Russian diesel. Trump said on Oct. 9 that Moscow had agreed to supply more than 300,000 metric tonnes right away. The arrangement also waives sanctions on Russia that were authorized by a bill Trump signed into law in September.

The deal drew bipartisan criticism in the U.S. and anger among European allies.

Kyiv's objection

Zelensky's government has argued that the drone campaign is its only viable answer to years of Russian bombardment, and Ukraine had refused earlier calls to stop. Kyiv has also voiced alarm that Washington is easing economic pressure on Russia while demanding restraint from Ukraine.

In a mid-October interview, Zelensky told Piers Morgan he felt betrayed "between us" by the diesel deal, the energy ceasefire announcement and Starlink restrictions. He told the Financial Times that U.S. counterparts had warned Ukrainian officers, "if you will not stop [the energy strikes], we will block intelligence." His words on resuming attacks that same week were, "We're done." Ukraine then struck a refinery in Russia's Ryazan region, and Russian officials confirmed the fire.

What the WSJ describes, a quieter stand-down starting around the same period, sits uneasily beside that public declaration. Kyiv has not explained the gap.

Russian strikes continue

The Russian campaign did not pause. A drone struck a crowded railway platform in Dnipro on Oct. 29, killing at least 14 people. Five more died in daytime attacks on Chernihiv and Kremenchuk, and a late-evening missile strike on Kyiv killed one person, bringing the toll reported by Ukrainian officials to at least 20.

The Kyiv Post reported that Ukraine has been waiting more than a month for Pentagon approval of Patriot missiles already funded by NATO allies. Zelensky has pressed Washington on the delay, saying the issue concerns the "entire country, not just Oleshky."

A U.S.-brokered local truce in southern Kherson is in place, but strikes elsewhere have continued to damage civilian and energy infrastructure, raising fears of power and heating outages this winter.

What to watch

The pause, as reported, has a built-in expiration tied to a U.S. election date. Nov. 3 is days away, and no Ukrainian or American official has said what happens after it.

It is unclear whether Washington delivers anything on the air defense side before then, or whether Kyiv resumes the refinery campaign once the polls close.