【10月20日】ウクライナ、ロシアの石油施設を攻撃。トランプ大統領は批判

Starlink Restrictions and a Rift Between the U.S. and Ukraine

It emerged last week that Ukraine had experienced disruptions to military use of SpaceX's satellite internet system Starlink, temporarily hampering its ability to intercept Russian jet-powered drones. President Zelensky, in an interview with NBC, suggested the restrictions had been imposed at the direction of the U.S. government. Treasury Secretary Bessent denied White House involvement, warning that Zelensky "should be careful about making statements that are not accurate." Elon Musk stated that usage limits are determined by the U.S. military and, ultimately, the president. The full truth remains unclear, but what is no longer in doubt is that the two countries are not operating in complete coordination.

The 1,000-Drone Strike on St. Petersburg

During the night of October 18, Ukraine launched 1,000 drones deep into Russian territory, targeting oil terminals and logistics centers in St. Petersburg. Russia's Defense Ministry announced that 1,015 drones had been downed or neutralized across 15 regions, but confirmed hits on multiple oil terminals and fuel storage tanks were reported, with intense explosions and large-scale fires breaking out on the ground. Disruptions to oil facility operations and fuel shipments remain a serious concern.

Trump's Criticism and Rising U.S. Fuel Prices

President Trump responded to the attack by declaring it was "driving up global oil prices" and took to social media to claim that "President Zelensky does not want the war to end." He added that he had no intention of doing "anything foolish that would move Russia away from the negotiating table."

Behind his sharp reaction is a domestic fuel crisis. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average price of regular gasoline stands at $4.29 per gallon—up 41% from a year ago—while diesel has reached $6.32 per gallon, up 74% over the same period. Because diesel is essential to agriculture and heavy industry, the surge is being felt across the broader economy, not just at the pump.

Partial Sanctions Relief and Market Reaction

In response to the fuel crunch, on October 16 President Trump temporarily exempted Russian imports from tariffs of up to 500% and waived tariffs of up to 100% that had applied to countries purchasing Russian energy. Secretary of State Rubio said the administration would take 60 days to assess the impact. Following the announcement, international crude oil prices moved lower.

According to a September report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Russia's fossil fuel export revenues average €625 million per day (approximately ¥100 billion). The price cap on Russian crude does not constitute a full import ban, and sanctions evasion via a murky network of tankers known as the "shadow fleet" has persisted. With the new relief measures in place, China and India—both of which had already been importing Russian energy—can now expand those purchases without fear of U.S. sanctions. President Zelensky condemned the move as "completely wrong and nothing but a help to Russia," warning that it offers a pretext to legitimize Russian aggression.

Japan and Russian LNG

Japan is the world's third-largest importer of Russian LNG, behind only the EU and China. Citing energy security, Japan has continued to import LNG from the Sakhalin-2 project as an exception to the international sanctions framework. The United States has repeatedly pressed its allies to halt such imports, yet Japan remains the only G7 nation that has not set a concrete deadline for stopping Russian gas purchases. As the 60-day window following the sanctions relief plays out, Japan—itself a party to this issue—will need to watch developments with particular care.