CRIMEA BANS NIGHT-TIME MOPED RIDING OVER DRONE DEFENCE CONCERNS

Crimea's Russian-installed administration has prohibited the operation of mopeds, quad bikes and motorcycles between 8pm and 6am, effective from Wednesday. Sergei Aksyonov, the governor of the Russian-occupied peninsula, announced the measure, citing concerns that the vehicles' noise interferes with air defence systems. Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to Aksyonov, claimed on Telegram that Ukraine was recruiting local youth to ride mopeds at night to disrupt Russian defence operations. The ban follows intensified Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Crimea's supply routes and infrastructure.

Ukraine has recently escalated strikes on the peninsula, which hosts Russia's Black Sea Fleet, triggering a fuel shortage across Russian-controlled territories. Petrol stations in Crimea continue rationing fuel at 20 litres per vehicle, according to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Sevastopol. Long queues formed at petrol stations in Crimea, southern Russia's Krasnodar region and elsewhere, reflecting the impact of Ukraine's campaign. On Tuesday, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged a refinery near Moscow operated by Gazprom Neft, with the strike affecting a facility responsible for 53 per cent of the plant's production capacity. Emergency services stated the resulting fire had been extinguished without affecting operations, contradicting reports from industry sources indicating the facility had halted work.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's president, stated the Moscow refinery was struck from a distance of 500 kilometres, characterising the attack as retaliation for Russian strikes. The US signalled it could reinstate sanctions on Russian oil shipments, with discussions at a G7 summit on Tuesday returning focus to the Ukraine conflict. Gazprom Neft has not provided comment on the incident.