Saudi Arabia warned of rising risks to global energy security from Middle East shipping disruptions, as Russian strikes targeted Ukrainian metallurgical and power facilities. Meanwhile, US lawmakers introduced a bill to block the US-Russia diesel deal, while retail fuel prices in Armenia remained stable.
Global market
Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan warned in Riyadh that persistent shipping disruptions in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz threaten global energy security. At the United Nations, India condemned attacks on commercial vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, calling for international action to protect seafarers and energy trade routes. On freight markets, the Drewry World Container Index rose 3% over the past week, while total throughput at the Port of Rotterdam grew 0.9% to 323.2 million tonnes in the first nine months of 2026, driven by crude oil, coal, and oil products. In nuclear power, Japan’s Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant shut down a reactor following a radioactive water leak from a faulty valve.
Russia & CIS
Russian Armed Forces launched strikes against Ukrainian metallurgical plants Zaporizhstal and Krivorozhstal, alongside power infrastructure in Zhitomir and Zaporizhzhia, forcing light blackout schedules across eight Ukrainian regions. Overnight, Russian air defense intercepted 610 Ukrainian drones across 16 Russian regions, confirmed the Russian Defense Ministry. Meanwhile, a bill to block the US-Russia diesel import deal was introduced in the US House of Representatives, titled the Stop Corrupt Russian Oil Deals Act. On energy strategy, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder stated Europe lost its prosperity by cutting 50-year energy ties with Russia, while Saudi intelligence cited Iranian assistance in Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Armenia
A US Congressional bill targeting Russian diesel imports introduces fresh trade uncertainty across global fuel channels and the EAEU market. Escalating strikes on Ukrainian energy assets and shipping hazards in the Middle East maintain heightened regional supply risks, yet retail prices for petrol, diesel, and compressed natural gas in Armenia remain stable. Uninterrupted natural gas deliveries from Russia and power generation at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant continue at full capacity under long-term EAEU agreements, shielding the domestic market from price volatility recorded by international market price assessments.