Russian‑backed forces in the occupied Crimean peninsula have indefinitely suspended retail fuel sales, following a string of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian logistics sites.
The move follows earlier rationing sparked by a Ukrainian campaign that hit supply routes and oil depots around the peninsula.
Governor Sergei Aksyonov announced that private customers and businesses would be turned away at fuel stations and that fuel would only be sold to government agencies to maintain Crimea’s security and functioning.
Earlier this evening, a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil depot in Kerch killed four people and injured 28. Civilian infrastructure has shown increasing vulnerability, with Kyiv’s attacks on Krasnodar’s logistics facilities and a ferry killing one passenger.
Crimea, seized by Russia in 2014, has long been a strategic launchpad for Russian forces, yet the peninsula’s tourism sector now feels the blow. Some holiday‑makers have reported difficulty in finding petrol to return home.
Both sides have escalated attacks in recent months as attempts at a ceasefire stalled beyond four years of full‑scale fighting. Ukraine seeks to choke off Russian revenue by attacking fuel export chains, while Russian retaliation looms.
Related: Russians struggling to find petrol to return home.
