Russia bans diesel exports after Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries

Russia introduced a ban on diesel exports on Wednesday as part of measures to stabilize the domestic fuel market, which has been suffering from systematic Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries. These attacks have triggered gasoline shortages and sharp price increases, with drivers in many regions facing hours-long lines at gas stations.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told a televised government meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin that the fuel situation remained complex and that the current situation at filling stations was causing public concern.

Meanwhile, Russian ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones killed at least three people in Kyiv in attacks on Wednesday morning. The attacks coincided with a NATO summit in Ankara, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Donald Trump and discussed the possibility of Ukraine obtaining licenses to produce US-made interceptor missiles.

In July alone, Russian strikes on Kyiv and its surrounding region have killed 60 people. The US president's commitment to allowing Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors was vaguely framed, and he admitted he had not spoken to the US defense companies Lockheed Martin and RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon) that produce the Patriot system. It also remained unclear how quickly manufacturing of the expensive and complex munitions could be ramped up.

A Russian attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa on Wednesday killed four people and injured six. The city, Ukraine's most important port, has been a frequent Russian target in the more than four-year war. Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, also came under missile attack on Wednesday morning, damaging private homes and a church. Another missile strike later on Wednesday on a residential building killed two, its mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

In Russia, Ukraine's overnight drone attacks killed one person and damaged industrial sites, authorities said. Russia denounced NATO's decision to give military aid to Ukraine, saying it could have catastrophic consequences. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that NATO's priorities remained unchanged: "The militarization of the European continent, the focus on building up defense capabilities, preparation for an armed conflict with Russia, and, of course, aid to Ukraine." She added that if NATO strategists had paused and thought, they might not have made such irresponsible decisions that could lead to a catastrophe not just for the alliance but for the whole world.