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Ukrainian Strike Destroys Rostov Oil Terminal Amid Rising Tensions With Washington
A Ukrainian air strike reportedly caused a major fire at the storage tank farm of the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery terminal
formerly known as Yug Rusi, in Russia’s Rostov region. Radio Liberty reported that no fuel tanks remained undamaged. Before the attack, the terminal reportedly had an annual throughput capacity of 2. 5 million tons of petroleum products and could accommodate two vessels simultaneously. The strike comes amid renewed debate over Ukraine’s campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Kyiv could halt attacks on Russian refineries if Moscow also stopped striking Ukraine’s energy facilities, stressing that any de-escalation must be mutual. According to the Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the discussions, US officials increased pressure on Kyiv to stop the refinery strikes and reportedly warned that intelligence sharing could be affected. The report also described an almost eight-hour meeting in Miami between Ukrainian negotiators and representatives of President Donald Trump, although the discussions reportedly ended without a second round.
Sources told the newspaper that disagreements emerged over proposals involving Russian fuel restrictions and the possibility of sanctions relief
Ukrainian officials reportedly maintained that a unilateral ceasefire would be unfair without corresponding commitments from Moscow. US envoy Steve Witkoff, however, described the talks as productive and said diplomatic efforts would continue. The reported developments highlight growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv over military strategy, energy infrastructure, and the conditions for negotiating an end to the war. The details of the reported warnings and discussions have not been independently established.
