Trump Urges Ukraine to Halt Strikes on Russian Diesel Fuel, Citing Global Shortage/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries and diesel infrastructure, arguing that the strikes are worsening a global fuel shortage. Supply disruptions caused by the Iran war and Ukrainian attacks have pushed average U.S. diesel prices above $6 per gallon. Russia and Ukraine meanwhile exchanged extensive drone strikes, causing deaths, injuries and damage to energy and transportation infrastructure.
Quick Look
- Trump said he had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop targeting Russian diesel facilities.
- Average U.S. diesel prices climbed above a record $6 per gallon.
- Ukraine says Russia’s oil industry finances and supplies Moscow’s invasion.
- The Iran war and restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are also major causes of the shortage.
- Russia said it intercepted 389 Ukrainian drones in one night.
- Ukraine said it launched defenses against 453 Russian drones and stopped or suppressed 409.
- Russian attacks hit Odesa and areas near Ukraine’s borders with Poland and Moldova.
Deep Look
Trump calls for an end to refinery strikes
KYIV, Ukraine — President Donald Trump called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, saying the campaign is contributing to a worldwide shortage.
Trump made the request after average diesel prices in the United States rose above $6 per gallon, reaching a record level and adding to the financial pressure facing consumers and businesses.
Ukraine has targeted Russia’s oil and gas sector with long-range weapons for months. The attacks have disrupted refinery operations, contributed to fuel rationing inside Russia and prompted Moscow to ban diesel exports in July.
“Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump told reporters while attending the Irish Open at his golf resort in Doonbeg, Ireland.
“We spoke to Mr. Zelenskyy about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting, that’s hurting the world,” he said.
Trump made the comments after being asked whether he had spoken with Zelenskyy following a recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Global shortage has several causes
Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries have tightened diesel supplies, but the global shortage has also been driven by the Iran war and disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
The International Energy Agency reported that net exports of diesel and gasoil from Gulf countries during August amounted to “just over a quarter” of their level before the Iran war began in February.
“Disruptions to Russia’s refining system and a near-halt to product exports following intensified Ukrainian attacks have compounded these losses,” the agency wrote.
In February, combined net exports of diesel and gasoil from Russia and the Gulf represented almost 45% of global seaborne trade, according to the IEA.
The agency has described the Middle East conflict as an unprecedented disruption to global fuel markets. It has also said Ukrainian attacks have substantially reduced Russian refinery operations and exports.
The supply shock has pushed the average U.S. diesel price to approximately $6.06 per gallon, compared with $3.71 a year earlier. Higher diesel costs can spread throughout the economy because the fuel is widely used in trucking, agriculture, construction and public transportation.
Ukraine defends its energy campaign
Kyiv says Russia’s oil industry is a legitimate military target because it generates revenue for the Kremlin and provides fuel for Moscow’s invasion, which has continued for more than four years.
Russia has intensified its aerial campaign against Ukraine in recent weeks, deploying ballistic missiles and faster, jet-powered drones in attempts to penetrate Ukrainian defenses. Russian forces have also continued attacking Ukraine’s electricity network ahead of winter.
The escalation has produced civilian casualties in both countries as Russia and Ukraine conduct extensive, long-range drone operations.
Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil facilities
Two people were killed and 14 others were wounded near an important oil and industrial center in Russia’s Tatarstan region, according to local authorities.
Officials said a drone struck a tree near a parked vehicle in Nizhnekamsk, a city containing several major refineries and industrial facilities. Mayor Radmir Belyaev reported that a fire had broken out at an unspecified “enterprise.”
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence agency also said its drones hit a major refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kubanin Russia’s Krasnodar region near occupied Crimea. The agency said a key processing unit and the facility’s storage tanks were struck.
Russian authorities described the target only as “an enterprise.” They said three people were injured and an oil pipeline was damaged.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 389 Ukrainian drones during the night. The ministry’s claim could not be independently verified.
Russia launches extensive attack on Odesa
Ukrainian officials reported that at least nine people were injured during a “massive” Russian overnight attack on Odesa.
The Black Sea city is home to Ukraine’s primary port complex and has repeatedly been targeted with missiles and drones. Kyiv accuses Moscow of trying to obstruct Ukrainian exports and damage the country’s economic infrastructure.
The latest assault followed a Russian drone strike on an Odesa residential high-rise one day earlier. Ukrainian officials said that attack killed two people and injured 26.
Strikes reach Ukraine’s western borders
Russian attacks also struck western Ukraine, including an area near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing with Poland. A drone started a fire at a nearby gas station, although officials reported no casualties and said the crossing remained operational.
“This is Putin’s terror ‘knocking’ directly on the doors of the EU and NATO. Russian barbarians are at your gate, dear partners,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
Ukraine’s crossings with Poland are crucial routes for humanitarian assistance and Western military supplies.
Earlier in the week, two people were killed when Russian drones struck the Starokozache crossing between Ukraine and Moldova. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a “direct threat” to another Polish-Ukrainian crossing was avoided the following day.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 453 drones overnight, including newer jet-powered models that travel faster and are more difficult to intercept. Ukrainian defenses shot down or electronically suppressed 409 of them, according to the military.
The expanding attacks on refineries, ports, energy networks and border infrastructure underline how the war is increasingly affecting global fuel markets and neighboring European countries.
More on US News