Trump calls on Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries as diesel prices spike

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy halt drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, warning that the attacks are causing a severe global diesel shortage. The intervention comes as U.S. diesel prices hit an all-time record of over $6 per gallon, threatening to fuel inflation ahead of the November midterm elections. While Kyiv defends the strikes as necessary to cripple Russia's war machine, the International Energy Agency reports that Ukrainian disruptions, combined with the war on Iran, have severely constrained global fuel supplies.

Trump urges Ukraine refinery halt

• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump on September 13, 2026, called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt drone strikes on Russian oil refineries and diesel infrastructure, stating that the attacks are causing a global diesel shortage
• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump delivered his remarks regarding Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure to reporters on September 13, 2026, at his Doonbeg golf club in Ireland during the Irish Open
• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly to advise him that there are plenty of other targets to hit besides Russian diesel fuel facilities

Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries

• ▪A Ukrainian drone strike overnight into September 13, 2026, in the Russian city of Nizhnekamsk, a major refining and petrochemical hub in Tatarstan, killed two civilians and injured 14 others
• ▪Ukrainian drone strikes overnight into September 13, 2026, targeted a key oil processing unit and tank farm at a major refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban in Russia's Krasnodar region, injuring three people and damaging an oil pipeline
• ▪The Ukrainian government asserts that long-range strikes against Russia's oil and gas industry are legitimate military targets because the industry funds and directly fuels Moscow's invasion of Ukraine

Record US diesel prices

• ▪The average price of diesel fuel in the United States hit an all-time record high of $6.06 per gallon on Friday, September 11, 2026, according to data from the American Automobile Association
• ▪The American Automobile Association reported that the U.S. national diesel average reached $6.20 per gallon on September 13, 2026, representing an approximate 68 percent increase from the prior year's average of $3.71 per gallon

US midterm election concerns

• ▪Rising diesel prices are heightening economic strain for Americans ahead of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections in November 2026
• ▪Political analysts and reports suggest that the spike in diesel oil prices could jeopardize Republican electoral prospects in the November 2026 midterm elections

Global diesel fuel shortage

• ▪A global diesel shortage has been exacerbated by Russia's decision to ban diesel exports in July 2026 following disruptions to its refining system from Ukrainian drone attacks
• ▪According to the International Energy Agency, combined net exports of diesel and gasoil from Russia and the Gulf region accounted for nearly 45 percent of global seaborne trade in February 2026
• ▪The International Energy Agency reported on September 11, 2026, that net exports of diesel and gasoil from Gulf countries in August 2026 fell to just over a quarter of their pre-war levels due to the conflict with Iran