Trump Urges Ukraine to Halt Strikes on Russian Diesel Infrastructure Amid Global Shortage

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cease long-range drone strikes against Russian oil refineries and diesel production infrastructure. Speaking on the sidelines of the Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf club on Sunday, September 13, 2026, Trump argued that these attacks are exacerbating a global diesel shortage and directly impacting fuel prices in the United States, which recently surpassed an average of $6 per gallon.

Ukraine has maintained a campaign of long-range strikes against Russia's energy sector for several months, asserting that the industry provides the essential funding and fuel for Moscow's ongoing invasion. These operations have led to domestic fuel rationing within Russia and prompted the Kremlin to implement a ban on diesel exports in July. The resulting supply contraction has tightened global markets, a situation further complicated by concurrent disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz due to the war on Iran.

According to an International Energy Agency report released Friday, the combined net exports of diesel and gasoil from the Gulf and Russia, which previously accounted for nearly 45% of global seaborne trade, have been significantly curtailed. The agency noted that disruptions to Russia's refining system have compounded losses already sustained from the regional conflict in the Middle East.

The call for restraint comes amid a surge in large-scale drone exchanges. On Sunday, Russian officials reported that two civilians were killed and 14 injured in the city of Nizhnekamsk, a major industrial hub housing key oil refineries, after a drone strike caused a fire at an enterprise. Simultaneously, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian forces launched a massive nighttime attack on Odesa, injuring at least nine people and damaging port infrastructure. Ukraine's air force claimed to have intercepted or suppressed 409 Russian drones overnight, out of a total of 453 launched by Moscow.

Beyond the energy sector, the conflict has increasingly impacted border regions. A Russian drone strike recently set fire to a gas station near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing with Poland, a critical conduit for Western military and humanitarian aid. While Ukrainian officials confirmed the crossing remains operational, the incident has heightened concerns regarding the proximity of the conflict to NATO and EU borders. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine also claimed successful strikes on a tank farm and processing unit at a refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban, Krasnodar, which local authorities confirmed resulted in injuries and pipeline damage.