Monday, Sep 28, 2026
1 Ukrainian Drones Hit Russian Oil Depot Despite Trump's Plea to Ease Strikes↩︎ ⚔️ War Sep 24, 7:24 AM EDT 235/59
Ukrainian drones hit Russian fuel infrastructure overnight, setting off a large fire at the Edelweiss-95 oil depot in Novotitarovskaya in the Krasnodar region, according to Ukrainian monitoring channels. The strike came after Trump told reporters he had asked Zelensky to show restraint on attacks against Russian oil refineries, arguing they were contributing to global diesel shortages, and quoted the Ukrainian president's reply as "Probably we will do it."
There is no evidence Ukraine is reducing the tempo of its campaign, with at least 12 documented strikes on Russian oil refineries since the beginning of September. Trump first pressed Zelensky to halt the attacks in a phone call last weekend, when his main message was "diesel, diesel… diesel," according to people familiar with the call. US diesel prices have hit a record $6.51 a gallon, up from $3.70 a year ago, and Zelensky says the strikes have destroyed 45% of Russia's diesel refining capacity. Javier Blas says Kyiv's refinery strikes are part of the diesel problem but that Trump is "wrong in singling them out as all of the problem."
Zelensky has refused to halt the strikes unilaterally, saying "Diesel may matter to some, but our lives matter more," and argues the price spike is driven primarily by the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz. He says Ukraine is ready for an energy ceasefire if Russia stops attacking its electricity, heating and water supply, a proposal Washington agreed to convey to Moscow. Negotiations will resume in 10 days ahead of a proposed trilateral meeting in the UAE, though Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there are still no concrete details on organizing it.