U.S. Fuel Travels Over 9,000 Miles to Reach Ukraine. How Gas Station Chain UPG Imports American Diesel

Ukraine-based chain expands from under 100 to over 650 stations since 2022, with U.S.-sourced diesel anchoring wartime supply chain

KYIV, Ukraine, May 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- UPG (Ukrainian Petroleum Group), a leading Ukrainian fuel retailer and the first in Ukraine to import U.S. petroleum products, starting in 2023, has expanded from fewer than 100 to more than 650 gas stations over the three years of the full-scale war – a nearly six-fold increase. Direct fuel imports from the United States remain a core supply route in the logistics system UPG has built during the war.

Since February 2023, UPG has been importing diesel from a refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico coast. The American route today accounts for 70% of the company's total fuel imports and is one of the key components of its diversified logistics system.

"After 2022, Ukraine's fuel market changed forever. Stability can no longer depend on a single source or a single route. We have built a system that combines direct contracts with producers in several countries, our own infrastructure in Europe, and full logistics control all the way to the end consumer in Ukraine. The American route is an important part of this system," said Volodymyr Petrenko, owner of UPG.

A route of roughly 9,300 miles

Fuel from the United States crosses the Atlantic to ports in Northern Europe, then travels onward to UPG's infrastructure in Poland, and from there through the company's own logistics network to gas stations across Ukraine. The key nodes in this chain are UPG's seaport terminal in Swinoujscie and its river terminal in Szczecin, which handle storage, transshipment, and onward transportation of fuel to the Ukrainian market.

Owning infrastructure in a NATO member state has become a strategic advantage for UPG in wartime: it allows the company to maintain uninterrupted supply even amid attacks on Ukraine's energy and logistics infrastructure.

Why the American route emerged

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine's fuel market underwent a fundamental restructuring. The industry faced a clear task – to diversify imports, open new markets, and build more complex but strategically more secure logistics chains.

The United States, with its powerful refining industry and stable export capacity, became one of the routes UPG added to its supply system. For the company, this corridor evolved from a one-off transaction into a regular part of its imports.

About UPG

UPG (Ukrainian Petroleum Group) is a Ukrainian gas station chain ranked among the top three operators in Ukraine's retail fuel market. The company operates more than 650 gas stations in Ukraine and owns logistics infrastructure in Poland, including terminals in Swinoujscie and Szczecin. UPG's network grew from 86 gas stations in 2023 to more than 650 in 2026, making it one example of a Ukrainian business that has managed to scale during the war, combining domestic expansion with the construction of international logistics chains. In 2023, UPG became the first Ukrainian company to establish direct fuel imports from the United States.

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SOURCE Ukrainian Petroleum Group