Trump said Russia and Ukraine agreed to stop attacking oil refineries. Three days later, Moscow alleges two Ukrainian strikes — neither reported by regional authorities.

Filed 48m ago · Via Meduza · The Buffoon Desk

THIS STORY IS SCORED

The Path of the Goblin King

Kevin MacLeod · incompetech.com · CC BY 4.0

Photo: gdsteam · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak claimed Ukraine struck oil refineries in Saratov and Ryazan regions on October 14, without naming the specific facilities, just three days after President Trump announced Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop hitting each other's refineries. Regional governors in both areas made no mention of any refinery strikes that day.

Saratov's governor reported a civilian death and building damage in Balakovo, home to a Sber data center he didn't mention, but said nothing about a thwarted refinery attack despite the region's lone refinery sitting there. Rostov's governor separately reported over 160 drones downed with no ground impact.

Meduza found no evidence on Russian or Ukrainian monitoring channels of fires or explosions at any refinery that day. Zelensky called Trump's original truce announcement news to him, later saying Ukrainian forces received relevant orders without confirming any refinery agreement.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.

✒ FROM THE EDITORIAL DESK

A truce one side calls news to him is a handshake with only one hand in it. Three days later Moscow says it got hit at refineries it won't name, in regions whose own governors never noticed, and the monitoring channels didn't see a single fire either. When the only people sure a deal happened are the man who announced it and the man looking for a reason to say it broke, you can probably skip buying the commemorative plate.

Source: Read the original at Meduza → Scored: The Path of the Goblin King · Kevin MacLeod · CC BY 4.0