US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Ukraine to end strikes on Russian diesel supplies as Moscow confronts a worsening fuel crisis.
Long-range drones fired from Ukraine have hit and damaged several Russian oil refineries, leading officials in Moscow to extend a ban on diesel exports through to the end of September.
“[President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy has to do one thing: he has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Mr Trump said at the Irish Open golf tournament at his Doonbeg course, County Clare. “Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he's causing a shortage of diesel fuel.”
Kyiv has engaged in a punishing series of strikes on Russian oil facilities in recent months, more than four years into a war that shows no signs of ending.
“Ukraine is capable of responding to Russia for any of their operations,” Mr Zelenskyy said during the Yalta European Strategy in Kyiv on Friday. “Russia knows that if they strike – and they are preparing to strike our energy system in the winter – Russia will receive the exact same. If they cause us blackouts, we will try to respond to them in kind.”
Officials said on Sunday Ukrainian forces had struck oil refineries in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and the Republic of Tatarstan.
Ukraine has targeted dozens of Russian oil targets so far, with more than 60 strikes on at least 24 refineries reported, according to the Caspian Policy Centre think tank.
The goal of the strikes is to raise the economic cost of the war for Russia, one of the world's biggest oil producers, and also cut fuel supplies to its military. It follows waves of Russian attacks over the course of the conflict on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Long queues for petrol and empty streets have been reported in Russian cities as the populace grapples with shortages.
Mr Trump attempted to sidestep accusations that the US war with Iran has driven up energy prices. “This isn't done by the Middle East, this is done by what's happening with Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the conflict remains in a bitter stalemate. Mr Trump, who claimed during his presidential campaign that he would end the war in 24 hours, has been unable to broker an end to the conflict.
