Crimea bans night mopeds, says teens help Ukraine confuse drone defense

Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, has banned riding moped scooters, quad bikes, and motorcycles at night. Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov said the ban applies from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting Wednesday. The reason: the vehicles sound like drone attacks. Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to Aksyonov, wrote on Telegram that "the enemy is recruiting your children for night-time rides." He claimed the moped noise "hampers the work of defense systems" because the engines sound similar to drones. Ukraine has recently stepped up drone strikes on Crimea, which hosts Russia's Black Sea Fleet. The attacks have targeted supply routes and caused a fuel crisis. Mikhail Razvozhayev, governor of Crimea's largest city Sevastopol, said a limit of 20 liters (5.3 gallons) of fuel per car at petrol stations would continue. Long queues of motorists in Crimea and Russia's southern Krasnodar region show the domestic impact of Ukraine's strikes. Separately, a Ukrainian drone attack started a fire at a refinery that is the largest fuel supplier to the Moscow region. Two industry sources told Reuters the strike halted operations. The attack damaged a primary refining facility that accounts for 53% of the plant's capacity. Emergency services said the fire was put out and did not affect operations, but Reuters sources contradicted that. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the refinery was hit from 500 kilometers (310 miles) away, calling it "a just response to Russian strikes." Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated the U.S. could soon reinstate sanctions on Russian oil shipments. He said sanctions were partly waived due to the Iran war to help lower oil prices, but now "the oil is now flowing. We're in a position to do that soon." Trump also said Russia should make peace with Ukraine after a "very good" meeting with Zelenskyy. "Look, Russia should make a deal," Trump told reporters, adding too many young men were dying on both sides. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Trump was "very cooperative" and listened "very attentively," giving him "a certain degree of optimism." Zelenskyy told Reuters that G7 leaders agreed Russia was not winning the war and discussed additional sanctions on Russia's oil exports, banking sector, and military production. However, two European diplomats said Trump was noncommittal on imposing further U.S. sanctions. A French diplomat said G7 leaders committed to providing Kyiv with more air defense capabilities.