No, Russia's attacks on energy infrastructure are not 'retaliation' for Ukraine's strikes on oil refineries

Ukrainian and regional outlets frame the 17 February strikes as part of a long‑standing Russian campaign to systematically destroy Ukraine’s energy system, not as a specific retaliation for recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries. They place primary responsibility on Russia for repeatedly targeting civilian‑linked energy infrastructure, arguing that Moscow uses energy deprivation to break Ukrainian resistance and gain leverage. They predict that Ukraine will continue striking Russian oil and industrial assets to reduce Russia’s capacity to fund and supply the war, while seeking more air defense and energy support from partners.

• •The REGIONAL block asserts that Russia has been attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since early phases of the full‑scale invasion, well before Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries became frequent.
• •Ukrainian sources describe the damage in Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk as ‘extremely serious’, affecting power supply and civilian services, which they argue contradicts Russian claims of purely military targets.
• •Regional outlets contend that Russia’s narrative of ‘retaliation’ is a messaging tactic to justify pre‑planned strikes aimed at undermining Ukraine’s economy and civilian morale.
• •Ukrainian reporting presents strikes on Russian oil terminals and chemical plants as legitimate efforts to disrupt Russia’s military logistics and revenue streams used to finance the war.
• •The REGIONAL block argues that Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine’s grid increase Kyiv’s dependence on Western air defense systems, energy equipment, and emergency power support.