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Ukraine has resumed drone attacks on Russian oil refineries after a brief pause, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Friday, as the Kremlin maintained that the strikes would not derail planned trilateral peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
"There was an attack overnight on Russian oil-processing facilities ... specifically, three oil refineries and one gas-chemical complex," Novak told Russian state television.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that the attacks on Russian refineries did not threaten plans for trilateral negotiations. He also indicated that Moscow would not raise the strikes during the upcoming meeting.
Preparations for the talks do not require Russia to suspend its military operations, Peskov added, reiterating Moscow's opposition to a ceasefire that would give Ukraine time to regroup.
Videos shared by Russian Telegram channels appeared to show smoke rising from a refinery in the Samara region, about 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev reported that two men were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the reported attacks.
Kyiv has repeatedly targeted Russian oil and gas facilities in retaliation for Moscow's strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The negotiations are expected to take place in Abu Dhabi in November, although a firm date has not been announced. Russian officials have indicated that the meeting could take place after Nov. 4, with the timing partly dependent on developments on the battlefield.
Security guarantees for Russia and Ukraine are expected to feature on the agenda.
Last week, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff visited St. Petersburg and presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with documents outlining approaches to resolving the conflict. Putin subsequently conveyed Moscow's readiness to resume consultations in a trilateral format.
The renewed attacks come amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has urged Ukraine to stop targeting Russian oil facilities as Washington seeks to bring down fuel prices.
Trump has blamed the strikes for contributing to higher diesel costs. Analysts have also linked rising fuel prices to the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February.
Earlier in October, Trump reached an agreement with Putin to ease sanctions on Moscow in exchange for increased Russian diesel supplies to international markets. The deal drew criticism from Kyiv and its European allies.
Trump subsequently announced an unexpected energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had not been informed of the arrangement.
Russia shipped around 510,000 tonnes of diesel to global markets in October under the agreement, Novak said Friday. Moscow plans to increase shipments to around 2.15 million tonnes in November.
However, Novak warned that further Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries could reduce export volumes, potentially affecting international fuel markets.
The United States consumes approximately 3.9 million barrels of diesel each day, making fuel prices a key concern for the Trump administration ahead of next week's midterm elections.
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