On September 3, 2026, Patrick De Haan, executive director of GasBuddy, reported that the U.S. national average diesel price reached $5.82 per gallon, surpassing the previous daily record of $5.819 per gallon set on June 17, 2022. ^[1] An estimated 40% of Russia's oil-refining infrastructure is now offline due to Ukraine's long-distance drone attacks, resulting in Russia cutting off its diesel exports. ^[2] U.S. diesel prices reached an all-time high of $5.85 per gallon on Friday, according to GasBuddy, while the average U.S. gasoline price hit $4.14 per gallon entering Labor Day weekend. ^[3] Kinser Jensen, a corn and soybean farmer from north-central Iowa who farms 3,400 acres, said he will have to 'bite the bullet' and start buying fuel despite the high prices, as he cannot mitigate the increased cost. ^[4] On September 4, 2026, Bloomberg's Lisa Abramowicz and AAA reported that diesel prices surged further to a peak of $5.85 per gallon. ^[5] The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that distillate fuel oil stocks, including diesel and heating oil, stood at 103.4 million barrels for the week ending August 21, 2026, a record low for that time of year. ^[6] Gregory Brew, senior energy analyst with the Eurasia Group, predicted that diesel shortage pressures in the U.S. will intensify in mid-September and last through November due to refinery maintenance. ^[7] Matt Reed, president of the geopolitical and energy consultancy Foreign Reports, stated that the global oil market is surprisingly resilient while the refining ecosystem is extremely fragile. ^[8]