By Yiannis Damellos and Mars Strangelove Jr.
October 18, 2026
Sources: Independent, CNN
Ukraine launched one of its largest drone assaults of the year against Russia overnight Saturday, setting oil facilities ablaze in St. Petersburg and striking logistics and technology infrastructure as tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump continued to deepen.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it shot down 1,015 Ukrainian drones across 15 regions, occupied Crimea and the Black Sea. The figures have not been independently verified. Russian authorities reported fires at the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal, which can handle up to 12.5 million tonnes of cargo annually, and the Ruchi oil depot. A logistics centre operated by retailer Ozon and a data centre associated with social-media platform VKontakte were also reportedly targeted.
Local authorities said one person was killed and five injured. Residential properties were damaged.
The assault came as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the United States had resumed intelligence sharing after a temporary interruption. Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press, Zelensky said the flow of intelligence had been restored. The information is particularly important for detecting incoming Russian ballistic missiles and warning Ukrainian forces and civilians.
The pause had raised serious concerns in Kyiv because Ukraine relies heavily on American intelligence for early warning of Russian attacks.
Putin deliberately attacked 76 times after ceasefire announced by Trump
Trump announced on October 11 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure. Neither Kyiv nor Moscow publicly confirmed a formal agreement, and Ukrainian officials reported that Russian attacks continued.
Zelensky said Russia had deliberately attacked Ukraine’s energy, oil and gas sectors 76 times in the week following Trump’s announcement. Ukrainian authorities also reported a major Russian assault on energy facilities in the Odesa region overnight, while Russian attacks across Ukraine killed 11 people and injured nearly 50 during the 24 hours leading into Sunday, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine initially paused strikes on Russian oil infrastructure for three days but subsequently resumed them. Zelensky has argued that Kyiv cannot be expected to refrain from attacking Russian energy assets while Moscow continues striking Ukraine’s own infrastructure.
Trump has condemned Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, calling them a “disgrace.” His administration has also eased restrictions affecting Russian fuel supplies, including a waiver for Russian diesel imports, and on Friday invoked a waiver exempting Russia from sweeping economic penalties mandated by Congress. The moves have drawn criticism, including from some Republicans.
In his NBC interview, Zelensky argued that sanctions relief strengthened Russia’s ability to continue its war. Asked whether Trump was still an ally of Ukraine, he replied: “I hope so.”
He also warned that the United States siding with Russia would be a “historic mistake.”
Starshield restrictions add to Kyiv’s concerns
The dispute extends beyond intelligence sharing. Zelensky said restrictions affecting Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starshield satellite communications system had limited the speed at which Ukrainian drones could operate. The Trump administration has disputed claims that the service was restricted, while the precise operational arrangements remain contested.
The issue follows reports that the United States temporarily withheld intelligence during Russian ballistic-missile attacks. With intelligence sharing now restored, one immediate concern has eased, but the broader uncertainty over American military and technological support remains.
Zelensky has said he wants to trust Trump and hopes the American president will reconsider his approach to Vladimir Putin. He also contrasted the need for clear, reliable partners with dealing with leaders responsible for lethal attacks.
For Ukraine, the immediate challenge is to defend its cities and energy infrastructure as another winter approaches. For Washington, the dispute raises a difficult question: can pressure on Kyiv produce a meaningful halt to the fighting if Russia continues its attacks?
For now, the battlefield and the diplomatic conflict are moving in opposite directions. Intelligence sharing has resumed, but Ukraine’s long-range attacks continue, Russian strikes persist, and the proposed energy ceasefire remains unconfirmed and ineffective in practice.
Rubio defends Russian Diesel Deal that Raises New Questions Over Trump's Russia Policy
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended a separate agreement under which Russia would supply diesel to help ease global fuel shortages and rising prices linked to the war with Iran and disruptions to energy markets.
President Donald Trump said Russia would initially supply more than 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel to the United States, with further shipments expected in November and beyond.
“That diesel is going to be sold one way or the other,” Rubio said, arguing that the agreement would determine how much of the available supply reached American markets. He described the overlapping conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine as increasingly interconnected economic and geopolitical challenges.
The diesel agreement comes alongside Trump's decision to waive sanctions and tariffs affecting Russian exports. But the administration's position remains unsettled. Trump said Saturday that he had not yet announced a final decision, while Rubio indicated that the president wanted up to 60 days to assess the economic consequences of imposing the proposed sanctions and tariffs.
The timing is politically significant. With November's midterm elections approaching, the administration faces pressure over rising energy prices. Rubio argued that Washington needed time to determine how sanctions, tariffs and the disruptions caused by the Iran war would affect both the American economy and global markets.
The decision has also provoked opposition in Congress. Republican Senator Thom Tillis questioned how the administration could suspend enforcement of legislation passed overwhelmingly by the Senate. Republican Senator John Cornyn invoked the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who had worked on the sanctions legislation. Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of providing economic support to Moscow, while Senator Elizabeth Warren called for Congress to act against the administration's move.
With both chambers of Congress in recess until after Election Day, the next steps remain uncertain.
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