UKRAINE INTENSIFIES STRIKES ON CRIMEA TO DISRUPT RUSSIAN SUPPLY LINES

Ukraine has escalated its attacks on Crimea and transport routes linking the occupied peninsula to mainland Russia, according to reporting. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that strikes targeted a Crimean oil depot and an oil transport facility in Russia's southern Krasnodar region as part of Ukraine's campaign of "long-range sanctions" against Russia. Ukrainian Telegram channels reported that Kyiv struck at least three Russian ferries transporting vehicles across the Kerch crossing between Crimea and the mainland.

The intensified campaign aims to isolate Crimea from Russian supply chains and raise the cost of occupation. Russian-appointed authorities suspended civilian fuel sales on Sunday until at least Wednesday, with the Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov stating that fuel would only be sold to government agencies ensuring the peninsula's "functioning and security". Local authorities announced that parts of Crimea would lose street lighting and that all public events had been cancelled. Ukraine has focused strikes on major transport routes supplying Crimea, particularly the Novorossiya highway and the Kerch crossing.

Russia had previously restricted traffic on the Kerch Bridge, the main crossing connecting Crimea to mainland Russia, following a 2022 Ukrainian attack that damaged the structure. Moscow has largely halted rail fuel shipments across the bridge since that incident. The recent strikes have resulted in residents queueing for extended periods at petrol stations, according to reporting. The disruptions occur during the peak holiday season, when tens of thousands of Russian tourists typically visit the peninsula.