Ukraine’s drone strikes cripple Russian diesel exports, hitting near 5-year low: 16 of 38 refineries hit

Ukraine’s drone campaign against Russian oil refineries has driven the country’s diesel exports to their weakest point since 2020, the Financial Times reported.

Since August 2025, 16 of Russia’s 38 refineries have been struck, slashing refining capacity by more than 1 million barrels per day and dragging exports below pre-war levels, according to Energy Aspects.

Analysts describe the refinery strikes as Ukraine’s most effective effort yet in disrupting Moscow’s war economy.

The attacks have worsened gasoline shortages inside Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “the most effective sanctions are the fires at Russia’s oil refineries,” urging Washington to impose additional measures against Moscow’s energy sector.

US President Donald Trump has also pressed Europe to cut off Russian energy purchases. Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 23, he warned, “Europe has to step it up. They can’t be doing what they’re doing. They’re buying oil and gas from Russia while they’re fighting Russia… Think of it: they’re funding the war against themselves. Who the hell ever heard of that one?”

Under US pressure, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sept. 16 that the EU will propose phasing out Russian energy imports sooner than originally planned.

Meanwhile, Russia’s slow advance saw the capture of three villages over the past week, prompting Ukraine’s command, for the first time, to dismiss the officers who oversaw the retreat.

Since 2024, Ukraine has relied on controlled tactical retreats, trading limited territory for heavy Russian losses. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces seized 1,910 sq km of Ukrainian land between May and August at the cost of 130,000 casualties — an average of 68 losses per square kilometre. Syrskyi’s recent dismissals suggest Kyiv may now take a harder line on territorial setbacks. On Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian troops were suffering “significant losses” in Kupiansk and Dobropillia, two of the fiercest fronts.