Russian-backed authorities in occupied Crimea have suspended fuel sales to the public amid ongoing Ukrainian attacks on the peninsula, Governor Sergey Aksyonov announced. The decision follows a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil depot in Kerch that killed four people and injured 28, which President Volodymyr Zelensky called a "just response to Russia's brutal attacks."
Fuel Rationing and Restrictions
Fuel had already been rationed due to shortages caused by Ukraine's recent campaign against supply routes in Russian-occupied territories. Under the new measures, individuals and businesses will be turned away from petrol stations, with fuel reserved exclusively for government agencies ensuring Crimea's "functioning and security," Aksyonov said. "Further decisions regarding the current situation in the republic's fuel market will be announced at a later date," he added.
Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, has experienced logistical difficulties and shortages, but this appears to be its most significant fuel restriction yet.
Ukraine's Long-Range Strikes
President Zelensky said Kyiv also struck a logistics facility for oil transportation in Russia's Krasnodar region, adjacent to Crimea across the Kerch Strait. Local authorities reported one person killed on a passenger ferry. Military logistics facilities and radar systems were also hit, Zelensky stated, without specifying locations. "Russia understands only strength, and our long-range strength is certainly working for peace," he said in a statement on X.
Zelensky added that at least seven people had been killed in Russian attacks over the weekend, with children among more than 30 injured. Russia's defence ministry claimed 239 Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight.
Impact on Crimea
The fuel suspension is expected to worsen shortages in Crimea, which has faced supply disruptions since Ukraine intensified strikes on Russian logistics. The Kerch oil depot attack, described by Aksyonov as a drone strike, underscores Ukraine's growing capability to target critical infrastructure deep behind enemy lines.
