Russian-controlled Crimea halts gas sales to civilians following Ukraine’s invasion
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Officials in Russia’s Crimea halted the sale of fuel to Ukrainians on Sunday as Ukraine stepped up its fuel offensive on the Black Sea peninsula.
Gov. Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed head of Crimea, said the strikes in Ukraine killed four people and wounded 28. He did not specify the purpose of the attack.
He later posted on social media that local gas stations will stop all sales to non-government companies and individuals for an unspecified period of time.
Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea,” said Aksyonov. “I ask everyone to be calm and trust only official sources of information.”
Ukraine’s military has repeatedly targeted fuel use in Crimea in recent weeks, which has created the region’s worst energy crisis since Russia’s illegal annexation in 2014.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a statement on Sunday said that an oil depot in Crimea, and an oil transport facility in the southern Krasnodar region of Russia were among the targets. He described the attack as part of Ukraine’s “long-term sanctions” against Russia’s energy infrastructure.
“Russia only understands power, and our long-range power works for peace,” he wrote.
Russian officials in Krasnodar reported earlier on Sunday that a drone strike had sparked a fire at a Black Sea oil facility in the village of Chushka. They said the Ukrainian attack hit the boat and killed one person.
Motorists are struggling to get fuel
The Crimean peninsula has experienced occasional fuel shortages in Ukraine strikes before, but the current crisis is the worst since it was annexed in 2014.
At the end of May, the authorities restricted the sale of gas to 20 liters per car owner per week, using prepaid coupons. These were snapped up immediately after their release on the messaging app’s official channel, and motorists lined up for hours, waiting to fill up with gas.
Social media was abuzz with requests and advice on where to get fuel, and authorities launched a hotline to help stranded tourists.
Some drivers bring their gas from Krasnodar and other places through the Kerch bridge, but they are limited to carry 100 liters per vehicle. Some speculators are selling gas at twice the market price.
In a rare public acknowledgment, the Kremlin recognized the scope of the problem and promised to address the issue immediately.
However, Ukraine’s success has highlighted its ability to inflict severe damage on Russia and change the course of the conflict while Moscow’s advances have recently stalled. On June 11, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reached its 1,569th day, surpassing the duration of the First World War.
