In brief
Ukrainian drones slammed a critical power substation in Sevastopol, Crimea's biggest city, causing a widespread outage that left residents scrambling for light and heat. Moscow‑installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev warned that power would remain unavailable until Wednesday evening, urging citizens to conserve electricity amid rising temperatures. The attack comes as Kyiv intensifies strikes on Russian‑controlled infrastructure to cut oil revenues and pressure Russia toward negotiations. In the same days, Russian officials halted fuel sales across the peninsula, exacerbating shortages for locals. Overall, the incident underscores the escalating strategy of targeting essential services to influence the broader war effort.
A Ukrainian drone attack slammed the main power substation in Sevastopol, Crimean’s largest city, plunging it into a sudden blackout. Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev, installed by Moscow, confirmed the outage and warned residents that electric service would not resume until Wednesday evening.
In his Telegram post, Razvozhayev underscored the city’s resilience, saying, “We have gone through more than that, and we will survive now.” He urged inhabitants to reduce power consumption and check on elderly neighbours as temperatures are expected to climb to 30°C.
The strike follows Kyiv’s broader strategy of targeting Russian‑owned energy infrastructure in occupied areas. Ukrainian officials say drones hit 48 practical and planned military sites overnight, including a key oil refinery in Moscow’s south‑east region.
The outage is compounded by a concurrent fuel crisis. Russian‑installed leader Sergei Aksyonov, earlier this week, announced the suspension of all petrol sales across Crimea to reserve fuel for government services amid a growing shortage at local garages.
The port city of Sevastopol, positioned on the western coast of the peninsula, is a linchpin for Russian logistics and a symbolic target. Its loss of power represents both a tactical victory for Ukraine and a setback for Russian strategic operations.
