Ukraine figured out how to hurt Russia. Hit the refineries.
Russian refinery runs fell to 3.8 million barrels a day in August, down from 5 million a year earlier. Gasoline and diesel prices inside Russia are up about 19% this year.
Destroyed supply spikes prices. Every barrel… pic.twitter.com/qPUsAPPB2c
— Kurt S. Altrichter, CRPS® (@kurtsaltrichter) September 9, 2026
Global diesel supply expected to stay tight through winter
Reuters reports diesel supply is expected to remain tight through winter. Refineries are running hard, but there still isn’t enough processing capacity to replace the lost output from Russia and the Middle East.
Russian refinery attacks cut output to 3.8 million barrels a day
https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/how-ukrainian-drone-strikes-are-pounding-russias-economy-a03652a7
Russian refinery output dropped from about 5 million barrels a day to 3.8 million in August. The strikes are now producing fuel shortages and forcing Russia to rely more heavily on imports.
Russia’s gasoline shortage is pushing drivers toward EVs
Russian EV and plug-in hybrid sales more than doubled from June through August. Gasoline production fell to roughly 70% of domestic demand by the end of August, with shortages and long queues appearing across the country.
U.S. diesel hits record $5.820
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-diesel-hits-record-5820-gallon-gasbuddy-says-2026-09-03/
U.S. diesel hit a record $5.820 a gallon. The diesel crack spread reached a record $108.02 a barrel, while East Coast inventories fell to just 19.3 million barrels. Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries were specifically cited as part of the global supply squeeze.