Zelenskyy after strikes on Moscow oil refinery urges Russia to pursue diplomacy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commended the Ukrainian Armed Forces for their successful operations on June 18, which targeted the Moscow oil refinery and an oil depot in Gukov, Rostov region. He described the strikes as a fully justified response to Russian aggression.

In a social media post, Zelenskyy shared a video of the burning refinery and thanked multiple Ukrainian units – the Security Service, Unmanned Systems Forces, Special Operations Forces, Defense Intelligence, and a missile brigade – for their coordination and precision.

The president stated that the so-called long-range sanctions had reached the Moscow region for the second time that week, with additional strikes in the Rostov region and temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. "It is time to end this war, and Russia must take the necessary diplomatic steps," Zelenskyy said, adding that the destroyed objects sustain the Russian war machine.

This was the sixth attack on the Moscow oil refinery in Kapotnya since the start of the war, following previous strikes on September 1, 2024, and on March 11, May 17, and June 16, 2025. According to Zelenskyy, international partners have noted the accuracy and effectiveness of Ukraine's medium- and long-range strikes.