Russian-backed authorities in Crimea have halted public fuel sales amid a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting the peninsula’s oil infrastructure.
Fuel had already been rationed due to shortages caused by Ukraine’s recent campaign against supply routes in Russian‑occupied territories and a strike on an oil depot in Kerch.
Governor Sergey Aksyonov announced that only government agencies will be permitted to purchase fuel, meaning individuals and businesses will be turned away from petrol stations. The policy aims to ensure the region’s “functioning and security” while Ukrainian forces continue to strike logistic facilities.
Earlier this week, Air Force commander Oleksiy Karpenko described the Kerch drone “just response” to Russia’s brutal attacks, and President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strike a retaliation for ongoing aggression. The Crimea crisis has intensified after Ukrainian attacks hit logistic sites in Russia’s Krasnodar region, which lies across the Kerch Strait.
Russia’s defence ministry reported 239 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight, underscoring the escalating conflict. The fuel restriction represents the most significant supply limitation yet in Crimea under Russian occupation, a region that serves as a launchpad for Moscow’s strikes toward Ukraine while also attracting Russian tourists who now face fuel shortages when returning home.
The move reflects Kyiv’s broader strategy to choke off Russia’s war budget by targeting fuel exports, forcing Putin to confront growing pressure to negotiate. Despite President Putin’s refusal to meet Zelensky this week, the Ukrainian annexation and supply attacks remain at the forefront of the front lines.
