Russia and Ukraine

[Pat Mustard]

This is infuriating:

KYIV, March 22 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian deputy prime minister said on Friday Russian oil refineries were legitimate targets for its forces, after a media report said the United States, a close ally, had asked Kyiv to stop conducting drone strikes on refineries.

Ukraine dramatically stepped up its attacks on Russian energy facilities this month, launching numerous long-range drones to strike Russia's biggest refineries, resulting in the temporary suspension of production at some of them.

"We understand the calls of the U.S. partners, but at the same time we are fighting with the capabilities, resources, and practices that we have," Olha Stefanishyna, the minister, told the Kyiv Security Forum.

She said energy facilities were legitimate targets from a military point of view.

The Financial Times cited people familiar with the matter saying Washington had urged Kyiv to halt strikes, warning of the risk of provoking retaliation and driving up global oil prices.

The attacks helped boost oil prices that have risen nearly 4% so far since March 12, when Ukraine hit a major oil refinery.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukr...024-03-22/

I wonder if these are the same collaborators who are holding up the next aid package we should be sending.

But the thing is, hitting Ruzzian oil facilities shouldn't be driving up oil prices, because that rise was factored in from the day the west started embargoing Ruzzian oil.

This is the same kind of bs that blamed the 2022 oil rises solely on the initial invasion despite the fact that oil prices were beginning to rise before that happened and the Sauds instigating a massive cut in the production of oil throughout OPEC.