In a dramatic escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a new wave of drone and missile attacks has left dozens of Ukrainian towns without power and set parts of Russia’s vital energy infrastructure ablaze. The intensification of strikes on both sides comes amid a shift in U.S. policy, with President Donald Trump’s administration providing unprecedented intelligence support to Ukraine, according to reports from Reuters and the Financial Times.
On October 11, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke with U.S. President Trump in what he described as a "positive and productive" call focused on countering Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system. "We discussed opportunities to bolster our air defence, as well as concrete agreements that we are working on to ensure this. There are good options and solid ideas on how to truly strengthen us," Zelenskiy wrote on X, formerly Twitter. He emphasized the need for "readiness on the Russian side to engage in real diplomacy – this can be achieved through strength."
The conversation came as Ukraine launched a daring drone strike on Russia’s Bashneft oil refinery in Ufa, deep in the Russian heartland, causing explosions and a massive fire. A source in Ukraine’s SBU security service told Reuters that this was the third such strike in Bashkortostan in the past month, more than 1,400 kilometers from Ukraine’s border. “Such strikes demonstrate that there are no safe places in the deep rear of the Russian Federation,” the SBU source said.
But the night of October 10-11 brought hardship for Ukrainians as well. Russian drones targeted Ukraine’s southern Odessa region, leaving 41 towns without electricity, according to local authorities. Fires broke out at an energy plant and a three-storey building housing a hotel and restaurant complex in the regional capital of Odessa. One woman was injured, and two people were rescued from the blaze, officials reported. The attacks also claimed the lives of two energy sector employees in the northern Chernihiv region near Semenivka, close to the Russian border, after drones struck their service vehicles, according to civil defence authorities.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia had attacked from the north, south, and east with a total of 78 drones during the night. The Russian defense ministry claimed that missiles were also used, targeting transport and energy infrastructure used by Ukrainian armed forces. The scale of the assault underscores the ongoing vulnerability of Ukraine’s grid and the high stakes for both sides as winter approaches.
Behind the scenes, the conflict has entered a new phase, with the U.S. playing a more direct role in Ukraine’s campaign against Russian energy targets. According to the Financial Times, U.S. intelligence data began flowing to Kyiv in mid-summer 2025, enabling Ukraine’s defense forces to strike key Russian energy infrastructure with greater precision. This previously undisclosed support has been crucial in helping Ukraine plan drone strikes that evade Russian air defenses.
Sources familiar with the campaign told the Financial Times that after a July 2025 phone call between Trump and Zelenskiy, the U.S. began providing Kyiv with more detailed intelligence. The American president reportedly asked Zelenskiy whether Ukraine could target the Russian capital if Washington supplied the necessary weapons. According to two sources, Trump made his position clear: he supports a strategy designed to "make them [the Russians] feel pain" to force the Kremlin into serious negotiations.
U.S. officials have been involved in every stage of the planning process, from mapping Russian air defense systems to selecting the best routes, altitudes, and timing for drone missions. While Ukraine ultimately chooses its targets, American intelligence has helped identify vulnerabilities and prioritize objectives, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. One official described Ukraine’s drones as “a tool through which Washington can damage Russia’s economy and motivate Putin to seek a settlement.”
The results of this closer collaboration have been dramatic. The pace of Ukrainian strikes on Russian pipelines and oil and gas infrastructure surged in August and September, according to the Financial Times. The damage has forced Moscow to cut diesel exports and increase reliance on imports, putting further pressure on Russia’s economy.
On October 10, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi highlighted the success of the so-called DeepStrike program, claiming that Russia’s oil refining output had been slashed by 21%. “The enemy is paying a high price for continuing its war of aggression against Ukraine,” Syrskyi said in a statement quoted by the Financial Times.
The shift in U.S. policy appears to have been motivated by Trump’s growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After a meeting in Alaska between the two leaders yielded no tangible results, Trump reportedly decided to approve deeper strikes, hoping to pressure Moscow into meaningful talks. The increased intelligence sharing has allowed Ukraine to plan attacks with greater precision, map Russian defenses more effectively, and strike targets previously thought to be out of reach.
For ordinary Ukrainians, however, the cost remains high. The blackout in Odessa and the deaths of energy workers in Chernihiv are stark reminders of the human toll of this grinding war. Fires in energy plants and the destruction of civilian infrastructure have become all too common, leaving many to wonder how much more the country’s battered grid can endure.
On the Russian side, the attacks on oil refineries and pipelines have sent shockwaves through the economy, forcing tough decisions about export priorities and domestic supply. While the Kremlin has downplayed the impact, the need to cut diesel exports and increase imports signals growing vulnerability. The message from Kyiv and Washington is clear: as long as Russia continues its campaign against Ukraine, it will face consequences far from the front lines.
As winter looms, the battle for control of energy infrastructure is set to intensify. With U.S. intelligence now a key factor in Ukraine’s strategy, and Russia responding with ever more aggressive drone and missile attacks, the conflict shows no sign of abating. Both sides are digging in, hoping that strength — and perhaps a bit of luck — will tip the balance in their favor.
The coming months will test the resilience of Ukraine’s people and the resolve of its allies, as well as Russia’s ability to absorb economic blows. For now, the war’s front lines stretch not just across fields and cities, but deep into the heart of both nations’ energy systems.