Ukraine pauses strikes on Russian refineries after pressure from Trump, WSJ reports

Ukraine has paused attacks on Russian oil refineries after weeks of pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump and growing uncertainty over continued American support, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The informal pause began in mid-October and is expected to continue at least through the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections, and potentially further into November, the Journal reported.

Ukrainian military units responsible for long-range strikes were told to halt new refinery missions once operations already underway had been completed, according to people familiar with the matter.

No formal government order banning the attacks was issued.

Trump has repeatedly pressed Kyiv to stop targeting Russian energy infrastructure, arguing that the strikes were contributing to higher fuel prices.

The reported pause comes as relations between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have grown increasingly strained and questions remain over the future of U.S. military support for Ukraine.