Ukraine Regains Territory in Donetsk as US Loosens Sanctions on Russian Oil

Over the past week, US-Ukraine relations came under particular pressure as US President Donald Trump lifted some oil sanctions on Russia. The move has left Ukrainian officials concerned that Washington may have restricted Kyiv's access to US intelligence and satellite services, undermining the country's defense capabilities.

"It is a pity that we are losing a strong partner," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalist Piers Morgan, referring to the United States. "It is painful that President Trump has chosen a side, and it is not our side. This is not the right side of history."

On October 9, Trump invited Russia to sell 1.8 million tons of diesel to the global market before the end of the year to help lower transport prices. The move effectively reverses the Lindsey Graham Act, which Trump signed into law just days earlier and which allowed him to impose secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian oil.

According to President Zelenskyy, Ukraine's partners did not share intelligence about five ballistic missiles heading toward Kyiv on October 13. The missiles struck Kyiv's Thermal Power Plant No. 4, one of the capital's largest facilities, causing power outages. He did not name the specific country.

On October 14, Russia continued striking Ukraine's power infrastructure, at the same time that Ukraine reported it had restricted its use of SpaceX's satellite positioning services for defense. Within 24 hours, Russia launched 850 drones and 39 missiles, hitting 30 energy targets across 19 Ukrainian regions, despite Trump's announcement of an energy ceasefire on October 11.

"Such blatant disregard for the United States on Russia's part has never been seen before," Zelenskyy said.

Starshield, the military component of SpaceX's Starlink satellite network, has limited Ukraine's use of positioning services above speeds of 160 km/h. This causes Ukraine to lose track of interceptors flying above that speed, making it difficult or impossible to stop Russia's Geran-4 drones, which fly at more than 500 km/h. According to Zelenskyy, six out of ten Russian drones are now jet-powered.

"The Starshield system is owned and controlled by the US government. Any speed or usage limits are decided by the US military and ultimately by the US President," SpaceX owner Elon Musk wrote.

Sources at Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said Starshield service began returning to normal on October 15. Ukraine has come under such intense Russian airstrikes that a prolonged loss of interceptor targeting capability could have serious consequences. In September, Ukraine's air force intercepted more than 4,700 drones and missiles of various types.

Starshield is equally important to Ukraine's ability to disrupt Russian offensive operations. Ukraine has inflicted heavy damage on Russian supply lines for months, attacking fuel trucks, bridges, ammunition depots and air defense systems. In September alone, Ukraine's military said it struck 40 command posts and 50 logistics facilities.

Data from Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces shows strikes fell from an average of 2,300 per day to 1,678 on October 14 and 1,053 on October 15. This is not the first time the service has been disrupted under the Trump administration. In March, the US also halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine, helping Russia retake the Kursk region that Ukraine had captured in a counteroffensive.

Ukraine regains territory

Despite the week's difficulties, Ukraine continued to retake territory. Ukraine's 3rd Corps completed the fourth phase of Operation Vivaldi in the eastern Donetsk region, recovering another 100 square kilometers of territory, according to corps commander Andrii Biletskyi.

This brings the operation's total gains to 275 square kilometers and 16 settlements since August, while rendering Russia's gains for the entire year nearly nil. The operation was designed to push back Russia's effort to capture the town of Lyman. A separate counteroffensive in the south also pushed back Russia's attempt to control Dobropillya. Ukraine views both moves as part of a pincer effort to encircle the "fortress cities" of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Ukraine's counterattacks have pulled Russian forces away from the direct Sloviansk and Kramatorsk axes, paralyzing this part of the front. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said: "Russian forces averaged roughly 14 attacks per day toward Sloviansk in August 2026, 5 in September 2026, and 3 per day so far in October 2026."

"Russian forces averaged roughly 3 attacks per day toward Kramatorsk in August 2026, 1 in September 2026, and only an average of 0.3 so far in October 2026," ISW said.

"We are stopping every attempt by the enemy to advance or infiltrate," Zelenskyy said. "Ukraine's positions on the front remain solid, and this year they are the strongest they have been in a long time."

Zelenskyy said Russian forces outnumber Ukraine's six- to eightfold in some frontline areas, and that they appear to have just received reinforcements. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said the troop increase "means a significant increase" in Russian casualties.

In the first two weeks of October, Russian casualties rose 25 percent compared with the first two weeks of September and nearly 60 percent compared with the first two weeks of August, according to Brovdi. At Dobropillya, Russian casualties were higher than anywhere else on the front, up 43 percent from September and double August's figure.

Ukraine's success is due in part to domestic production of its own drone designs in cooperation with European allies. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said 2026 orders are half again as large as 2025's, and delivery volumes are nearly four times last year's.

While Ukraine respected Trump's energy ceasefire for three days, it resumed striking Russian refineries on October 15. Ukraine also continued hitting non-energy targets throughout the week. On October 9, it struck an explosives and missile fuel production facility in Nizhny Novgorod, along with a missile fuel additive plant in the Tver region.

On October 15, Ukraine destroyed four Sukhoi fighter jets and damaged two others at Borisoglebsk airfield in the Voronezh region. Ukraine also targeted three data centers belonging to Russian cloud services company Yandex, destroying or disabling facilities in Sasovo, Kaluga and Vladimir between October 8 and 11. It also struck a Sberbank data center on October 14. The attacks deprived Russians of online payment and other services.