Trump says Russia has ‘lost control’ of its oil refining industry

U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that Russia has "lost control" of its oil refining industry following ongoing Ukrainian assaults on refineries. Trump tweeted on his platform Truth Social that "Russia has unfortunately lost control of its Diesel Oil Industry due to its War with Ukraine." The claim comes as a significant number of Russian diesel refineries have been destroyed and are temporarily offline due to the conflict.

This development has far-reaching implications as the global community is grappling with the loss of 25,000 lives per month, primarily soldiers, across the war-torn nation. Ukraine has intensified its strikes on Russian oil refineries over the past year, targeting facilities away from the border. These attacks have led to equipment damage and forced many refineries to cease operations, resulting in recurring fuel crises and gasoline shortages throughout Russia.

Another global issue is the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which once facilitated approximately one-fifth of the world's oil exports prior to the latest Middle Eastern conflict. During a mid-September conversation, Trump reportedly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to cease strikes on Russian diesel-producing facilities, stating that alternative targets were available and that attacking diesel fuel was detrimental to the world.

Trump reiterated his request during a phone call with Zelensky on September 20, according to Axios. At Meduza, we prioritize transparency regarding our utilization of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. This article was written by one of our human journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model that adheres to our stringent editorial standards.

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