Rubio accuses Ukraine of striking U.S.-linked vessels in Black Sea
Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed Ukraine has hit ships tied to U.S. interests, saying the incidents must be addressed.
Marco Rubio told a morning news program that Ukrainian attacks have struck ships connected to U.S. oil interests, noting the incidents may not be deliberate but still require a response. He expressed concern that these strikes could push diesel prices higher. The comment builds on a July report that the U.S. had warned Kyiv against hitting non-Russian vessels, including those carrying Kazakh oil in which Chevron holds a stake.
Rubio’s statement highlights growing friction between Washington and Kyiv over the war, including disputes over Patriot interceptor deliveries and Ukraine’s drone campaign against Russian refineries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly, where the two leaders are expected to discuss these and other contentious issues.
Why it matters
The allegation could strain U.S.-Ukraine cooperation amid ongoing war and energy concerns.
How this story developed
- Aug 14 Russia claims strikes on Ukrainian rail hub and vessels as drones hit Russian ports
- Sep 17 A Russian jet‑drone strike near the Polish‑Ukrainian border triggered air‑defence alerts and fighter scrambles.
- Sep 19 Tusk invoked NATO’s Article 4 and announced a trip to Kyiv.
- Sep 20 In the early hours of Friday, Russia's anti-aircraft units reported destroying 35 Ukrainian drones heading for the capital. Local authorities said a comparable wave of drones was also intercepted in the Toula district south of Moscow. The incidents occurred as Russia began a three-day parliamentary and local election cycle. No casualties were reported from the interceptions.
- Sep 20 Power supplies were cut for thousands of households in the Odessa region after the latest missile and drone barrage.
- Sep 20 Zelensky said a major Russian oil refinery, a logistics structure and the Voronezh region were hit in the massive attack.
- Sep 20 Officials reported that 249 unmanned aircraft were intercepted in the latest wave of attacks.
- Sep 21 Russia's defence ministry said it will increase the frequency and precision of its strikes on Kyiv.
- Sep 21 Donald Trump asked Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, linking them to rising diesel prices worldwide.
- Sep 21 Russian drones struck Zaporizhzhia, injuring five and causing fires, while a woman was killed in the Kharkiv region and a mother with two children died in the Kyiv region.
- Sep 21 Trump’s appeal to cease refinery attacks was made ahead of his scheduled meeting with Zelensky at the UN General Assembly.
- Sep 21 Russian forces carried out multiple attacks on Ukraine's front-line regions on Monday, resulting in at least five deaths.
- Sep 22 Ukrainian forces reported an overnight drone raid on Russia’s Kuibyshev oil refinery.
- Sep 22 European intelligence services warned that Russia could conduct limited incursions or false‑flag operations to test NATO’s collective defence within months.
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