Russia has lost control of its diesel industry: Trump

| September 22, 2026

US President Donald Trump says the “ridiculous and never ending” war in Ukraine must stop.

US President Donald Trump says Russia has “lost ‌control” of its diesel industry and ‌again reprised his call for an end to the Russian war with Ukraine.

“Russia has unfortunately ‌lost ‌control ⁠of its Diesel Oil Industry due to its War with Ukraine. A large number of their Diesel refineries have ⁠been ‌blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of ‌commission,” Trump said in a social media post a day before he was to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on ‌the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

“This ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended.”

Zelenskiy responded to Trump’s message with a post of his own on X.

“Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this will lead to matching de-escalation steps on our part,” Zelenskiy wrote.

Five people were hurt as Russian drones hit units and a Zaporizhzhia shopping mall, officials say. (EPA PHOTO)

Earlier this month, Trump called on Zelenskiy to halt attacks on Russian refineries and blamed them for a global diesel shortage.

Russian drones struck the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Monday, a day after Ukrainian forces fired more than 1000 drones at Russia, officials said.

The Russian bombardment of Zaporizhzhia late on Sunday hit apartment blocks, a university and a shopping mall and wounded five people, Zelenskiy said on Monday.

Indeed, this Russian war against Ukraine and against common sense must be ended. From the first year of the full-scale invasion, its consequences have been far-reaching: the loss of many lives, the destruction of cities and villages, food security, energy challenges, the extraordinary pace of technological development, including autonomous drones, and the rapid advancement of strike capabilities never seen before. Every new week of this war, let alone every new year, adds more and more problems. From the very first minute, Ukraine has sought peace. We have already made dozens of diplomatic proposals on how to end this war with dignity, guarantee security, and prevent new Russian invasions. Right now, there is a dialogue with President Trump and America. There are also ideas on the table for bringing peace closer, starting with strong de-escalation steps. Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this will lead to matching de-escalation steps on our part. Solutions are possible. We are ready to work on this, and we will discuss it with our partners on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. I thank everyone who is helping! It will no longer be the case that only the country under attack suffers. The nature of war is now such that the aggressor will suffer as well. Technology makes this possible. The strength of countries’ leadership can – and must – deliver de-escalation, security, and peace. Thank you!

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 21, 2026

Russia also struck nine other regions of Ukraine, he said.

The Russian military targeted Ukrainian logistics hubs, warehouses and ports among other military-related sites, the Russian defence ministry said on Monday.

with Reuters and AP

DPA

Russia has lost control of its diesel industry: Trump

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