Zelenskyy told Reuters on Wednesday that Ukrainian intelligence had uncovered documents revealing that President Vladimir Putin had cleared a broader range of targets for the upcoming winter. The files list roads, schools, hospitals and energy sites as new priorities, aiming to push civilians out of cities.
Russian strikes over the past week have hit energy and telecom assets, as well as bridges over the Dnipro River, tightening the supply lines to Kyiv. Moscow maintains the attacks are retaliatory, but both sides deny deliberate civilian targeting.
Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian response will focus on Russian oil refineries, arguing that the revenue generated there finances Moscow's war machine. He insisted the strikes would avoid civilian infrastructure.
The decision arrives amid growing concerns that the U.S. and other allies fear higher diesel prices could follow repeated attacks on Russian fuel production, though Zelenskyy counters that the economic impact is a strategic necessity.
Ukraine is gearing up for the winter campaign, with the Defence Ministry reporting stockpiled ballistic missiles and a shortage of ammunition for its F‑16 and MiG interceptors. The government plans to launch the first wave of refinery strikes before the cold snap, while exploring electronic jamming to counter the surge of Shahed drones.