Ukraine pauses strikes on Russian refineries after Trump pressure, report says

Ukraine has suspended its strikes on Russian oil refineries following pressure from US President Donald Trump, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar with military operations. Ukrainian long-range strike units were informed in mid-October that the campaign was effectively on hold, with orders to complete only ongoing missions before pausing further attacks. The unofficial halt is expected to last until after the US midterm elections and may extend further into November. The pause comes as Trump grows frustrated over Kyiv's attacks on Russian energy infrastructure amid record diesel prices, while Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine's civilian and energy facilities. Ukraine had previously resisted such calls, arguing its drone campaign was its only viable response to Russian bombardment.