Can't bear it anymore! Ukraine strikes Russian oil refineries again—single missile destroys six Russian aircraft!

Moreover, in the traditional infrastructure sector, PowerChina has undertaken the Red Sea City Utilities Project and the Rabigh II Combined-Cycle Power Plant project; China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) has taken on the Jizan Economic City Power Plant + Seawater Desalination Project. Chinese enterprises have also secured numerous Saudi transportation and civil infrastructure projects—the most famous being the Mecca Light Rail Project undertaken by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC). Others include the NEOM smart city infrastructure, the Jeddah Port expansion project handled by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), and tens of thousands of affordable housing units built by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC). In high-tech and digital fields—including digital economy, cloud computing, AI, and telecommunications—Huawei, Alibaba Cloud, ByteDance Enterprise Cloud, Tencent Cloud, MiniMax, Xiyu Technology, Hikvision, and Dahua are all involved. Lenovo has built an assembly plant for laptops and servers in Saudi Arabia; BYD and NIO have also expressed interest in establishing industrial chains there. With such extensive Chinese interests in Saudi Arabia, Saudi prosperity enables more Chinese enterprises to win more contracts, earn more revenue, and create more jobs for Chinese citizens. Yet some ‘Little Pink’ netizens cheer for and even praise the Houthi movement—despite the fact that the Houthis are destabilizing Saudi Arabia. Some of these supporters have been unemployed for months, yet still enthusiastically applaud the Houthis’ disruption of Saudi stability—I truly cannot comprehend this group. I feel we are now entering a new era of collective irrationality. 【Xiao Kao’s Sponsored Ad】 Unexplained itching all over your body? Only after using this anti-mite soap did my itching finally stop! Mites are microscopic—ordinary washing simply cannot eliminate them. Sophora flavescens combined with deep-sea mineral salt is the most effective solution! Suitable for both facial cleansing and bathing—after using it, not only does the itching cease, but your skin also becomes smoother! Click the blue text to view and order: II. Other Global News: 【2.1】Ukraine has abandoned hope of achieving an "energy ceasefire" and resumed strikes against Russian oil refineries: On the 15th, a refinery in Russia’s Ryazan Oblast was struck by drones and caught fire. The Governor of Ryazan Oblast confirmed on social media that Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale drone attack on the region, igniting a fire at a local refinery. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv’s patience has run out and criticized the U.S. decision to halt military intelligence sharing with Ukraine as “dangerous.” On the 14th, Zelenskyy said Russian attacks had left approximately 600,000 Ukrainians without electricity. He warned that unless Russia stops attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Ukraine would not indefinitely suspend retaliatory strikes. In an interview with the Financial Times on the 15th, Zelenskyy bluntly declared: “Our patience has run out—the ban on striking refineries has been lifted; we will no longer abide by it.” He further criticized the U.S. for rushing to strike commercial deals with Russia and for former President Trump’s apparent admiration toward Putin. When asked whether Ukraine would consider pausing energy infrastructure strikes again to repair relations with the White House, Zelenskyy replied that Ukraine might agree only if the U.S. supplies more Patriot interceptor missiles—a condition he stressed as Ukraine’s “minimum acceptable threshold.” Ukraine’s resumption of strikes against Russian oil refineries is, in my view, a positive development. Without prior consultation or any formal Russian acknowledgment or agreement, Ukraine voluntarily paused its strikes for three days to observe developments—an act demonstrating considerable restraint. Yet, given Russia’s continued assaults on Ukrainian power plants, the U.S. suspension of intelligence sharing, and restrictions imposed on the Starlink system, Ukraine no longer needs to exercise such restraint!

Latest analysis of the Russia-Ukraine war and other global developments as of 5:00 a.m., October 18, 2026 (text version)!

1. Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces and Deputy Commander for Coordination, stated that the Strait of Hormuz is currently under blockade: any vessel wishing to pass must first obtain explicit permission and authorization from Iran. He emphasized that the Iranian Armed Forces maintain comprehensive control and surveillance over the area. Any passage by vessels of any nation without prior coordination or authorization may trigger serious consequences. Furthermore, if the strait were not blocked, oil shipments would proceed normally—and U.S. gasoline prices would not rise. This point is unequivocal. 2. According to Bloomberg, U.S. President Donald Trump stated in an interview yesterday that he had not ordered restrictions on Ukraine’s use of SpaceX’s ‘Starshield’ satellite technology—and he believes Elon Musk did not issue such an order either. Trump told reporters that day: “It wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon either. I don’t know who else might have done it.” Starshield, developed by Musk’s SpaceX, is considered the military counterpart to Starlink, designed for secure military communications and combat operations—including drone control and artillery targeting. The U.S. Department of Defense is Starshield’s largest customer, and the system serves as a critical pillar of Ukraine’s air defense against Russian drones. 3. The Russian Ministry of Defense released its daily combat report stating that, from early morning to noon yesterday, Russian forces conducted sustained strikes against energy infrastructure across multiple Ukrainian regions, damaging facilities and causing widespread power outages. Severely affected areas included Vinnytsia, Volyn, Zhytomyr, and Odesa Oblasts—among ten oblasts total. Due to the damage, some regions have implemented scheduled rotating blackouts to manage electricity shortages. Simultaneously, Russian drones targeted Ukrainian port infrastructure and related vessels, hitting a logistics center in Odesa Oblast and a ship delivering supplies to Odesa Port. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported that energy infrastructure in Odesa Oblast sustained damage during the attacks. 4. According to AFP, President Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels, Belgium, one day ago to attend the EU leaders’ summit, where support for Ukraine will be discussed. The EU reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to Ukraine; countries including the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, France, Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria all pledged continued support. Zelenskyy held meetings with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, focusing on energy security, air defense, and negotiation clusters. The proposal to utilize frozen Russian assets was also revived for discussion. 5. According to the Financial Times, EU leaders affirmed that sanctions against Russia will neither be eased nor lifted before the war ends. European Commission President von der Leyen stated: “Moscow has ignored the energy ceasefire agreement and instead escalated tensions. Unless Russia ends the war, we will lift none of our sanctions.” European Council President António Costa added that now is the time to intensify pressure on Moscow. 6. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that Ukraine’s financial resources are nearing exhaustion, rendering it unable to purchase or produce everything required for the war effort. Therefore, frozen Russian assets represent “the most obvious additional funding source,” and she emphasized that Russia must bear responsibility for the damage inflicted upon Ukraine and Europe.

Russia expands attacks on energy facilities to western Ukraine

Oct 20, 2026

Russia expanded strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure into western regions, causing widespread blackouts and damaging facilities including those owned by DTEK. Officials report dozens of attacks on power, oil, and gas sectors despite recent calls for an energy ceasefire.

reuters

Russia expands attacks on energy facilities to western Ukraine

FAQ