Ukraine to intensify strikes on Russian refineries after Putin's new air campaign

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will intensify attacks on Russian oil refineries in response to Moscow's new campaign of air strikes aimed at forcing people to leave Kyiv and other cities. In an interview with Reuters, Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence obtained documents showing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin approved a "new doctrine" of military attacks on a significantly wider range of civilian targets ahead of this winter. He stated the goal is to force people to abandon the capital and various cities, and that Ukraine will respond by striking Russian energy infrastructure, primarily oil refineries, which fund the war, but will not indiscriminately hit civilian targets like Russia does. In a separate interview with El País published on October 2, Zelensky said Russia wants to force Kyiv residents to leave the capital, a goal Moscow has pursued since the start of the full-scale invasion. He also noted Putin is escalating the war ahead of the US midterm elections, warning that Russian strikes this winter will focus on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Lviv.