Crimea Blacked Out: Fuel Cut by 100% After Drones Blast Power Grid
Ukraine’s drone strikes have knocked out electricity in Crimea’s biggest cities and completely halted fuel sales across the occupied peninsula, leaving political prisoners stranded and residents in the dark.
A wave of overnight drone attacks struck occupied Crimea’s power grid, cutting electricity to the cities of Yalta and Sevastopol. Local air alerts lagged hours behind the strikes, and residents reported sudden blackouts as critical infrastructure was hit [181560]. Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea, is without electricity, and the Moscow-installed governor warned that some areas will not have power restored until the evening [181269].
The attacks have also deepened a severe fuel blockade. Fuel sales have been halted across Russian-occupied Crimea after Ukraine targeted oil facilities and supply routes in the region; authorities had already rationed fuel due to shortages caused by the strikes [178824]. In Yevpatoria, trams have stopped running, and gasoline has disappeared from sale entirely [180297]. The new strikes on the Kerch Strait tightened an already severe fuel blockade, cutting off supply routes and knocking out power across the region [180297].
The fuel crisis has paralyzed the movement of political prisoners. Detainees, including Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians, are now stuck indefinitely in Simferopol. Ukrainian drone strikes have cut off fuel supplies to the peninsula, crippling Russian logistics, and the blockade prevents authorities from transferring prisoners to other facilities [181562].