Trump wants Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
Ukraine should stop striking Russian infrastructure because the attacks are allegedly causing a global diesel fuel shortage, Donald Trump told reporters.
Accusations against Ukraine
The US president claims that Ukraine's actions are allegedly causing a diesel fuel shortage on the global market.
According to him, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should change his tactics.
"Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia. He's causing a shortage of diesel fuel," the politician said.
Strikes on Russian oil refineries
In August, Russian oil refineries experienced their largest wave of attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion.
International analysts are forecasting a prolonged downturn in the industry as critical infrastructure continues to be targeted.
In particular, the International Energy Agency has lowered its forecast for Russian oil refining over the next 18 months to 4 million barrels per day. That is 30% below the levels recorded before the full-scale war began.
One of the latest facilities targeted was the Saratov oil refinery, Russia's oldest refinery, which was attacked by drones overnight on September 8.
The facility can process nearly 5 million tons of crude oil per year. However, the strikes sparked a fire on its grounds, and local authorities confirmed that the facility was damaged.
As a result, experts expect Russian oil refining capacity to fall by about 30% from its prewar level, with the recovery expected to take at least 18 months.
