Russian-appointed officials in Crimea suspended the sale of petrol and diesel to private individuals and businesses on Sunday, following overnight Ukrainian drone strikes that struck an oil depot in Kerch and a fuel transport facility in Russia’s Krasnodar region. The attacks killed at least five people and wounded 28 others, according to regional governor Sergei Aksyonov, and caused partial blackouts on the peninsula. In the port city of Sevastopol, municipal authorities cancelled all public outdoor events, shortened working hours for supermarkets and public transport, and switched off street lighting, citing a need to conserve electricity and to ensure security.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, confirmed his forces’ responsibility, describing the operations as part of a campaign of “long-range sanctions” against Russian energy infrastructure. He stated that a depot in Kerch and a maritime fuel‑transport facility near the Kerch Strait were hit, alongside military logistics nodes and four S‑400 radar stations. In recent weeks, Kyiv has escalated attacks on supply convoys, rail links and refineries, aiming—in the words of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov—to “turn Crimea into an island” by cutting all road and ferry connections to mainland Russia. Western military analysts note that the Ukrainian strategy is designed to degrade Russia’s ability to use the peninsula as a staging ground for operations against southern Ukraine and to deprive Moscow of oil revenue that finances its war effort.

The suspension of civilian fuel sales in Crimea is the most severe supply restriction since Russia’s 2014 annexation. As recently as late May, Aksyonov had imposed a ration of 20 litres per vehicle per week using prepaid coupons, but those were quickly exhausted. The independent Russian‑language outlet The Bell reported that no reliable fuel‑supply route to Crimea remains intact: tanker trucks are banned from the Kerch bridge, railway ferries have been destroyed in Ukrainian strikes, and the overland road through occupied southern Ukraine is subject to constant drone interdiction. The peninsula’s electricity grid was also damaged, compounding shortages; local utility Krymenergo said emergency repairs were underway in the north‑west, centre and southern coastal districts.

The choking of Crimea’s logistics reflects a broader pattern. According to The Bell, Ukrainian strikes have knocked out roughly one‑third of Russia’s oil‑refining capacity, and fuel‑sale restrictions are now in place in most Russian regions. In Moscow, the Kremlin’s spokesperson acknowledged “unjustified public anxiety” over supplies and pledged that authorities would prevent energy and food shortages. Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to strike Ukrainian cities: three people were killed in overnight attacks in the regions of Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk, while Zelensky said Russia had launched 2,200 attack drones, 1,800 guided bombs and 87 missiles over the past week. Governor Aksyonov said that for now only state agencies ensuring “vital functions and security” would receive fuel, and that further decisions on the retail market would be announced later.