Refinery strikes have been a recurring feature of the war, aimed at disrupting fuel supplies and imposing economic costs. Each round has drawn attention from energy markets, because damage to refining capacity can affect fuel availability and prices well beyond the immediate area.
The resumption comes as diplomatic efforts elsewhere in the world, including the Hormuz talks, compete for attention. For Ukraine, targeting refineries is presented as a way to weaken the resources sustaining Russia's war effort, while Russia has condemned such strikes as attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Independent verification of the scale of damage is often difficult in the early hours after a strike, and officials on both sides tend to describe the impact in very different terms. Readers should therefore treat initial claims with caution until satellite imagery and independent reporting confirm the extent of any damage.
What happens next will depend on whether the strikes continue in a sustained campaign or prove to be a short burst. Either way, energy analysts will be watching refinery output, export flows and fuel prices for signs of a wider effect in the days ahead.