fuel shortage in Europe. fuel crisis. war russia Ukraine

"Europe and the US have no choice but to prepare for an even worse fuel crisis," claim pro-russian media outlets. While the global diesel market is indeed going through a difficult period, the underlying causes are far broader. Fuel prices and availability are being simultaneously affected by disruptions to refining and supply chains — stemming from the conflict between Iran and the US in the Middle East and russia’s war against Ukraine — as well as by seasonal surges in demand. Read the full story for details.

Claims of a "fuel shortage in Europe" do not align with the European Commission's current assessment. On September 8, the European Commission stated that there are currently no issues regarding the physical supply of oil and petroleum products in the EU: demand for diesel and jet fuel is being met by European refineries and alternative supplies, while commercial and emergency stocks remain sufficient: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/oil-coordination-group-no-immediate-security-oil-supply-concerns-eu-2026-09-08_en?
At the same time, the EU acknowledges the risk of further market tension during the autumn and winter months.
Ukrainian strikes on russian oil refineries have indeed reduced fuel production; according to Reuters, half of russia's largest refineries — which account for about half of the country's diesel output—reduced or halted operations in September.
However, this is merely one factor contributing to the global shortage of petroleum products, not proof that Ukraine itself caused the current crisis. In other words, while the market problem is real, the propaganda narrative strips it of its global context to promote the claim that Ukrainian strikes are "pushing the world to the brink of catastrophe." russia is far from being the only fuel supplier to global markets. Since 2022, its share of the global market has steadily declined due to sanctions and Ukrainian strikes. 
Meanwhile, international experts acknowledge that the true shock to global fuel markets has stemmed from the protracted war in the Middle East and the blocking of key maritime trade routes. For its part, Ukraine is defending itself against intense aggression by the russian army and is therefore compelled to strike military targets, as well as industrial facilities that sustain the "war machine" of the dictator putin.
Based on materials from Spravdi.ua
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