Russian installed authorities in Crimea have halted fuel sales to the general public as Ukrainian attacks on the occupied peninsula continue to disrupt supply chains and energy infrastructure.
Fuel had already been subject to rationing due to shortages linked to Ukraine’s recent operations targeting supply routes in Russian occupied territories.
Crimean Governor Sergey Aksyonov announced that private individuals and businesses would no longer be able to purchase fuel at petrol stations. According to him, fuel supplies would be reserved exclusively for government agencies responsible for maintaining the region’s operations and security.
“Further decisions regarding the current situation in the republic’s fuel market will be announced at a later date,” Aksyonov said.
Earlier, Aksyonov reported that a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil depot in Kerch overnight killed four people and injured 28 others.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as a justified response to Russian military actions.
“Just response to Russia’s brutal attacks,” Zelensky said.
Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, has faced growing logistical challenges and shortages in recent months, but the latest measure represents one of the most severe fuel restrictions imposed on the peninsula so far.
Zelensky also disclosed that Ukrainian forces struck a logistics facility involved in oil transportation in Russia’s Krasnodar region, located across the Kerch Strait from Crimea. Local Russian authorities reported that one person was killed on a passenger ferry during the attacks.
The Ukrainian leader further stated that military logistics facilities and radar installations were targeted, although he did not specify their locations.
“Russia understands only strength, and our long-range strength is certainly working for peace,” he said in a statement posted on X.
Zelensky also said at least seven people were killed in Russian attacks over the weekend, while more than 30 others, including children, sustained injuries.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 239 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Crimea remains strategically important to Moscow, serving as a key launch point for military operations against Ukraine.
The peninsula is also a popular holiday destination for Russian tourists, some of whom have reportedly struggled to obtain fuel for return journeys amid the shortages.
Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks in recent months as efforts to secure a ceasefire remain stalled more than four years after Russia launched its full scale invasion.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russia’s energy sector in an effort to reduce revenue used to finance the war while also disrupting military logistics and placing additional pressure on the Kremlin.
However, analysts note that such operations often trigger retaliatory strikes from Russia.
Last week, Ukraine launched what was described as its largest attack of the war so far against an oil refinery near Moscow, with reports indicating that droplets of black oil fell across parts of the Russian capital following the strike.
As tensions continue to escalate, residents in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine are reportedly preparing for a possible Russian response.
