Strikes killing 17 are Russia’s ‘thank you’ for lifting US diesel sanctions, Zelenskyy says – POLITICO

“Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five hover bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelensky said on X.

The strikes came just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel in a bid to curb soaring prices.

Ukrainian officials met with European and American officials in Miami on the same day as part of a new diplomatic initiative aimed at ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Zelensky criticized the deal Friday and accused Trump of using peace talks as a “smokescreen” while pursuing a deal with the Kremlin.

Even though the negotiations were supposed to last two days, the Ukrainian team decided to return home earlier than planned “because they managed to discuss everything earlier,” a senior official familiar with the matter told POLITICO. Ukraine will continue to bomb Russian oil refineries despite US-Russian agreements, the official added.

The Ukrainian armed forces announced on Saturday that they had struck a major oil installation in the Russian region of Samara overnight.