U.S. consumers and freight-dependent industries face higher bills after diesel reached a record $6.06 per gallon, prompting President Donald Trump to press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacking Russian oil refineries. Trump said the strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure are worsening global supply disruptions as fuel costs climb.
Speaking during an official visit to Ireland, Trump said, "Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia," and added, "Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel because he's causing a shortage of diesel. This isn't done by the Middle East; this is done by what's happening with Russia and Ukraine."
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian oil facilities and logistics in recent months, actions Kyiv describes as legitimate military measures intended to raise the cost of Moscow's war effort. Those attacks have curtailed Russia's refining throughput and contributed to shortages that saw Moscow extend a ban on diesel exports through the end of September to shore up domestic supplies.
The spike at the pump is acute for heavy transport and agriculture. AAA data show the national average for diesel stood at $6.06 per gallon, and truckers and farmers are paying roughly 63% more to fill rigs and tractors than a year earlier. Diesel is central to shipping, mining, farming and many industrial processes, so sustained tightness quickly ripples through consumer prices and supply chains.
Rising crude prices have amplified the squeeze. International Brent futures for November traded near $106.69 per barrel, up 2.1% on Monday morning, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate for October was around $102.15 per barrel, also up 2.1%. Market moves follow renewed regional tensions, including fresh strikes by the Iran-backed Houthis and Iranian attacks on ships, and a drone strike that temporarily shut Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, all of which heightened worries about oil flows.
With Russian refining capacity impaired and Middle East attacks adding additional supply risk, pressure on diesel markets is likely to persist in the near term unless military activity eases or export controls are lifted. For now, policymakers and logistics firms must contend with sharply higher fuel costs and the knock-on effects across transport and agriculture.
