US President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop strikes targeting Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure involved in producing and distributing diesel fuel. Trump said the attacks were contributing to a global shortage, as diesel prices in the United States reached a record level on Friday, averaging more than $6 a gallon.

Ukraine has for months carried out long-range attacks against Russia’s oil and gas industry, disrupting refining and fuel supplies. The strikes have contributed to fuel rationing in parts of Russia, while Moscow imposed a ban on diesel exports in July, further reducing supplies available to an already tight global market. The broader fuel crunch has also been linked to disruptions caused by the war on Iran, which curtailed oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump made his comments after being asked whether he had spoken with Zelensky following his recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf club, Trump urged Zelensky to avoid targeting diesel-related infrastructure, saying there were other targets that could be struck. He argued that attacks on Russian fuel facilities were having consequences beyond the conflict.

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The International Energy Agency said in a report published Friday that net exports of diesel and gasoil from Gulf countries in August were only slightly more than a quarter of their level before the war on Iran began in February. The IEA said disruptions to Russia’s refining system and a near-halt in product exports following intensified Ukrainian attacks had compounded the losses. Before the disruptions, combined diesel and gasoil exports from the Gulf and Russia accounted for almost 45 per cent of global seaborne trade.

Kyiv has defended its attacks on Russia’s energy sector, saying the oil industry helps finance and directly support Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, Russia has intensified its air campaign against Ukraine, using ballistic missiles and drones to target infrastructure, including the power grid. Large-scale overnight attacks by both sides also caused civilian casualties, with deaths and injuries reported in Russia’s Tatarstan and Ukraine’s Odesa region.

In Russia, two people were killed near the oil and industrial hub of Nizhnekamsk in Tatarstan after a drone struck a tree near their parked car, while local officials also reported a fire at an unspecified industrial enterprise. Ukraine said it had struck an oil refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban in Russia’s Krasnodar region, while Russian authorities reported three injuries and damage to an oil pipeline. In Ukraine, authorities reported further casualties from Russian drone strikes, including attacks on Odesa and western regions near the Polish border.

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