Ukrainian drone strikes halve output at Russia's biggest diesel refineries; Trump urges Zelensky to stop attacks
Ukrainian drone attacks have cut or fully halted production at three of the six largest Russian diesel-producing refineries in September, accounting for roughly half of Russia's diesel output. The Kirishi (Kinef) refinery is fully halted, Volgograd and Norsi are operating at about a quarter of capacity, and Taneko was struck on 13 September. U.S. President Donald Trump has called on President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt the strikes, citing global diesel price increases, while Ukraine has conditioned any ceasefire on Russia also stopping attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Key points
- Three of Russia's six largest diesel refineries — accounting for about half of national diesel output — have cut or halted production after Ukrainian drone strikes.
- Kirishi (Kinef) has fully halted operations; Volgograd and Norsi are running at roughly a quarter of normal capacity.
- The Taneco refinery in Nizhnekamsk was hit by drones on 13 September; production impact not yet assessable, Reuters sources say.
- U.S. average diesel price first exceeded $6 per gallon on 10 September, according to GasBuddy.
- Russia has already restricted exports of gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel.
- On 13 September Trump publicly urged Zelensky to stop strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure, blaming the Russia–Ukraine war for global diesel shortages; Ukraine says it is ready for a ceasefire if Russia also stops strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Why it matters
With three of Russia's six flagship diesel refineries — half of national output — disrupted, Russian fuel exports are tightening and global diesel prices have begun rising, with U.S. prices crossing $6 per gallon on 10 September. The damage comes on top of an already constrained export regime, and a concurrent conflict around Iran is adding further pressure to world fuel supply. The political dimension is significant: the U.S. president has publicly appealed to Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, while Ukraine is linking any ceasefire to reciprocal Russian restraint on Ukrainian energy sites.
What happened
In September 2026, Ukrainian drone strikes sharply curtailed Russian diesel production. Kirishi (Kinef) halted entirely, while Volgograd and Norsi continued working at roughly a quarter of capacity, leaving output several times below normal levels. Taneko in Nizhnekamsk was hit on 13 September, though the consequences for production had yet to be assessed by Reuters sources. The six refineries — Omsk, Kirishi, Volgograd, Perm, Norsi, and Taneko — together account for about half of Russia's diesel output. On 13 September, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly called on President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure, saying the Russia–Ukraine war rather than the U.S. conflict with Iran was driving the global diesel shortage. Ukraine replied that it was ready for a ceasefire provided Russia also stopped strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Russia has already restricted exports of gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel amid reduced production. Before export restrictions were introduced in June, Russia was exporting less than 1 million tonnes of diesel per month, compared with about 2.5 million tonnes a year earlier, with Turkey and Brazil the largest buyers.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The Ukrainian-language source frames the refinery output reductions as a direct result of successful Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian energy infrastructure. It foregrounds the appeal from Trump to Zelensky to halt the strikes, paired with Ukraine's position that any ceasefire must be conditional on Russia stopping its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
How international sources describe it
The Arabic-language source carries a similarly neutral descriptive account, foregrounding Ukrainian drones as the cause of reduced Russian refinery output.
Background
The six largest Russian diesel-producing refineries — Omsk, Kirishi (Kinef), Volgograd, Perm, Norsi, and Taneko — together account for around half of Russia's diesel output. A year ago, with refineries running normally, Russia exported roughly 2.5 million tonnes of diesel per month, and 3.3–3.4 million tonnes combined with lower-quality gasoil. Before mid-2025 export restrictions, Turkey and Brazil were the largest buyers, taking at least half of available Russian diesel exports, according to LSEG. The International Energy Agency reported that Russian refineries were successfully attacked on average every three days during the first eight months of 2026. The conflict around Iran has added further pressure on global fuel supplies. Diesel underpins trucks, rail, maritime transport, and agriculture; the U.S. farm sector has been dealing with four consecutive years of declining margins linked to drought, higher input costs, and Trump administration trade policies.