Ukraine Blows Up 13 Russian Power Stations in 48 Hours, Cripples Crimea Fuel Supply
Ukraine has launched a massive coordinated attack, destroying 13 Russian-controlled power stations in just two days and cutting off fuel and electricity to occupied Crimea, pushing the region into a state of emergency.
Ukrainian forces carried out one of their most intense campaigns of the war, disabling 13 power stations across Crimea, Melitopol, Donetsk, and Luhansk in a 48-hour operation [187613]. The strikes targeted a key electrical substation in the village of Mariianivka, igniting a fire that knocked out power across four Russian-occupied territories and damaged S-300 and S-400 air defense systems near the city of Kerch [185040]. The attacks have caused widespread blackouts in Sevastopol, the largest city on the peninsula, where authorities announced that electricity restrictions would remain in place indefinitely [183621].
The fuel crisis has become so severe that gas stations in Crimea open without warning and close again within hours, leaving drivers waiting in long lines only to find empty pumps or prices that have skyrocketed beyond reach [187626]. Resellers are buying cheap fuel and selling it at inflated prices, while ordinary residents struggle to fill their tanks [187626]. The disruption has triggered a mass exodus of Russian civilians from the peninsula, with traffic jams stretching for miles as people flee the blackouts, water shortages, and fuel rationing [183810].
Ukraine is also using drones and small cruise missiles to destroy key road and rail bridges, cutting off Russian supply lines in an unprecedented and rapidly expanding campaign [187970]. These attacks aim to weaken Russia’s ability to fight by disrupting military logistics and energy supplies [186359]. Analysts say the mounting pressure may force Russian President Vladimir Putin to announce a new wave of mobilization [182958], though Moscow has not yet signaled any shift in its war strategy [186359].