Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cease strikes on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure involved in diesel production and distribution, asserting that these attacks are contributing to a global shortage.
Trump's remarks came as diesel prices in the United States reached a record high of over $6 a gallon on Friday. Ukraine has been conducting long-range strikes against Russia's oil and gas industry for months, leading to fuel rationing within Russia and prompting Moscow to ban diesel exports in July, which further tightened the global market.
The International Energy Agency reported that net exports of diesel and gasoil from Gulf countries in August were significantly lower than before the conflict with Iran began. The agency noted that disruptions to Russia's refining capacity and a near cessation of product exports, intensified by Ukrainian attacks, have compounded these supply losses. In February, combined exports of diesel and gasoil from the Gulf and Russia accounted for nearly 45% of global seaborne trade.
Ukraine maintains that Russia's oil industry funds and directly supports its invasion. Concurrently, Russia has intensified its aerial campaign against Ukraine in recent weeks, employing ballistic missiles and drones. These attacks have targeted Ukraine's power grid, with officials suggesting the aim is to demoralize civilians ahead of winter.
Overnight strikes resulted in casualties in both Russia and Ukraine. Local officials reported two civilian deaths and 14 injuries near an oil and industrial hub in Russia's Tatarstan region. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported Russian drones striking Odesa, the Black Sea port, and near a border crossing with Poland.
In Russia's Tatarstan, a drone hit a tree near parked cars in Nizhnekamsk, a city with significant oil refineries, causing a fire at an industrial facility. Ukraine's Defense Intelligence agency claimed responsibility for an overnight strike on a key oil processing unit and tank farm at a refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban, Krasnodar region. Russian authorities stated the strike injured three people and damaged an oil pipeline.
Russia's defense ministry reported shooting down 389 Ukrainian drones overnight. In Ukraine, at least nine people were injured in a large-scale Russian nighttime attack on Odesa. Ukrainian officials also reported that a Russian drone strike on Saturday hit a residential building in Odesa, killing two people and injuring 26 others.
Russian strikes also hit western Ukraine, with one drone igniting a fire near a border crossing with Poland. Ukrainian officials described the attack as "Putin’s terror knocking directly on the doors of the EU and NATO."
Ukraine's air defense systems reported intercepting or suppressing 409 Russian drones of various types during the night, out of a total of 453 deployed by Russia.