Ukrainian drones targeted energy infrastructure in occupied Crimea, striking a gas storage facility and reportedly a power plant. The strikes are part of Ukraine's strategy to isolate the peninsula and disrupt Russian supply chains, amid ongoing fuel shortages.
The strikes highlight Ukraine's expanding drone capabilities and its strategy to degrade Russian logistical and energy infrastructure in occupied territories, potentially impacting energy supply and military operations.
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) continued their drone campaign over occupied Crimea on June 19 and overnight into June 20, striking energy facilities on the peninsula, according to Ukrainian officials and Russian Telegram media channels. Commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Forces, Robert Brovdi, known as "Madyar," posted footage on social media of the 414th Brigade of the USF striking the Hlibivka underground gas storage facility in western Crimea. Air defense radar and a locomotive were also targeted on the peninsula throughout the day, Brovdi added. Following the attack earlier in the day, multiple explosions also rang out into the overnight hours of June 20, according to the Crimean Wind Telegram media channel. A fire was seen rising from the area of the Tavriiska Thermal Power Plant in the city of Simferopol amid active Russian air defense operations. A black column of smoke was reported after a purported strike on the facility. Crimea has become the primary focus of Ukraine's effective "middle strike" campaign, using mid-range drones to hit Russian targets at operational depth behind the front, typically defined as between 25 and 200 kilometers (15 and 124 miles) from the front lines. Kyiv has set its sights on targeting the energy facilities amid an ongoing fuel shortages in the region caused by Ukrainian strikes. At the beginning of June, Russian proxy authorities implemented the use of "fuel vouchers" across occupied Crimea, as well as set limits to the amount of gasoline residents of the peninsula can purchase. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedoov said on June 17 that Ukraine's drone campaign is turning the peninsula "into an island," as Kyiv attempts to isolate Crimea from the rest of Russia with strikes on supply chains.