Belgium Pledges 10 F-16s as Zelenskyy Resumes Russian Refinery Strikes

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy secured a commitment from Belgium to deliver 10 F-16 fighter jets by the end of 2026. During meetings with King Philippe and Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Zelenskyy requested additional aircraft and ammunition to counter Russian strikes that left 15,000 people without power in the Volyn region and caused outages in Kyiv. De Wever stated that the transfer of F-16s is now possible following the arrival of F-35s in Belgium.

Simultaneously, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is resuming strikes against Russian oil refineries, declaring that a previous pause on such attacks is over. This decision follows a large-scale Russian assault that damaged 30 energy facilities in Kyiv and Kharkiv, leaving 600,000 people without electricity. Zelenskyy characterized the Russian action as a violation of a US-announced energy ceasefire and further accused the United States of disrupting intelligence-sharing and Starlink connectivity.

On the diplomatic front, Zelenskyy rejected a call from US President Donald Trump for a change in Ukrainian leadership, asserting that only the Ukrainian people can change their leader. He proposed holding elections only if Russia agrees to a complete 60-day ceasefire to allow for preparations and the securing of critical infrastructure.