‘Moscow is silent’: Ukraine blitz leaves Crimea with ‘no fuel, no buses, no trains’ | World | News
People living on the occupied Crimean peninsula have vented their anger amid growing chaos after Ukrainian drones and special forces were cut off by striking supply lines. In a video shared widely on social media, a local resident lists the cascading failures: “No ferries, no bridges, no fuel, no buses, no planes, no trains – and Moscow is quiet.”
The clip, published on X by Ukrainian consultant Anton Gerashchenko, shows long lines of vehicles stretching towards the Kerch Bridge as residents try to escape. Reports showed that more than 700 cars were in line earlier this week, with shortages of gasoline, electricity, water and internet adding to the frustration.
Power outages plunged parts of the peninsula into darkness and were officially attributed to “technical failures”. Russian-appointed officials suspended gasoline sales to civilians and canceled children’s summer camps and sporting events until Sept. 1, citing security concerns at the height of the tourist season.
The repression extends deep into Russia. Ukrainian drones have hit Moscow’s Kapotnya oil refinery, the capital’s biggest fuel supplier, multiple times this month. Industry sources say the facility, which processes millions of tons of oil annually, will be out of action for at least six months. The attacks triggered fuel shortages in 11 time zones of Russia; Long queues have formed at gas stations, price increases have occurred and emergency measures are being evaluated.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak also raised the diesel export ban in addition to existing restrictions on gasoline and jet fuel. It is reported that imports are being monitored especially for Crimea. Amid the crisis, planned refinery maintenance was postponed.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced that forces had “isolated” Crimea with drones and warned that it could soon become an “island” with serious consequences for the invaders. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration portrays the attacks as retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Kiev says it has hit more than 800,000 enemy targets this year with drones, almost all of which were produced domestically.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged threats to energy supplies and tourism but offered little in the way of a concrete response. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov promised to protect his ally Belarus from pressure from Ukraine. On the battlefield, Russia’s costly advances in eastern Ukraine continue even as Ukraine’s long-range strikes erode supply lines and the oil revenues that finance the war.
UN Ambassador Andrii Melnyk signaled readiness for negotiations on the basis of the UN Charter, but emphasized that recent successes have changed the dynamics: “This is just the beginning.”
