Donald Trump is asking Ukraine to stop hitting Russian oil refineries, framing the drone campaign as a threat to global fuel supplies rather than a legitimate wartime tactic. The remarks, made September 13, 2026, came while Trump was attending the Irish Open, and followed conversations he had held with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The request puts Trump in an awkward position relative to his own prior statements, which had at times signaled openness to Ukraine striking back against Russian energy targets. The new stance is a meaningful turn toward de-escalation, at least on this particular front.
What Ukraine has been hitting, and why it matters
Ukraine’s drone campaign against Russian energy infrastructure has been one of the more consequential, if underreported, dimensions of the war in 2026. Ukrainian forces have targeted more than a dozen Russian refineries throughout the year, reaching facilities located hundreds to over 1,500 kilometers from the front lines.
Among the most recent targets: the Slavyansk ECO refinery, which processes roughly 5.2 million metric tons of crude per year, was struck on the night of September 12-13, just hours before Trump made his comments. The Taneco refinery, one of Russia’s more modern processing facilities, has also sustained damage this year.
