Crimea suspends civilian fuel sales after Ukrainian drone strikes kill 5

Russian-appointed authorities have suspended all civilian fuel sales in occupied Crimea, reserving supplies exclusively for state services, following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on energy infrastructure. The attacks, which occurred overnight, killed four people and wounded 28 in Crimea, and a separate strike in Russia's Krasnodar region claimed one life.

Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed governor of Crimea, announced the ban, stating that fuel would only be dispensed to entities ensuring the region's vital activities and security. The strikes targeted fuel transit terminals, port infrastructure, gas compressors, and radar systems, according to Ukrainian reports. This escalation of attacks aims to disrupt Russian supply chains and isolate the peninsula.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized these strikes as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” against Russia’s energy sector, aiming to degrade its war-fighting capacity. Crimea has faced periodic fuel shortages due to Ukrainian strikes before, but the current situation marks a significant escalation.

Russia's defense ministry reported shooting down 239 Ukrainian drones overnight. Zelenskyy also stated that at least seven people were killed in Russian attacks over the weekend.