Published on 6/26/2026
The authorities of the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia, declared a state of emergency to confront the repercussions of the ongoing Ukrainian strikes, which caused a major fuel shortage and power outages.
This announcement comes today, Friday, in light of the authorities suspending the sale of fuel to individuals and the power outages resulting from Ukrainian attacks on supply routes and oil installations throughout Crimea, in conjunction with the suspension of tourism activities and summer camps for children until next September, attributing these measures to fuel shortages and security concerns.
Governor Sergei Aksyonov said – in a statement via Telegram – that a decision had been taken to sign decrees declaring a state of emergency in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sebastopol, adding that the legal framework of the state of emergency allows issues related to maintaining the functioning of all vital sectors to be addressed with the utmost speed.
Electricity rationing
Yesterday, Thursday, Aksyonov announced in a statement the start of rationing electricity throughout the peninsula to address the shortage resulting from the Ukrainian bombing, avoiding setting a time limit for ending these measures, and reserving “revealing the specific action plan.”
In light of Ukraine’s targeting of Russian oil processing and export facilities in Crimea, Aksyonov said that the Russian army was unable to fully protect the peninsula, noting that “there are no air defense systems in the world that are completely ideal in terms of safety and effectiveness.”
The Russian Ministry of Defense previously announced on Friday that it shot down 660 Ukrainian drones overnight, including over the capital, Moscow, and the Crimean Peninsula, which is one of the highest numbers since the start of the war between the two countries.
Eliminating the summer season
Last week, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that the strikes launched by its forces were eliminating the summer season in Crimea, which remains a favorite holiday destination for Russians, while an attack launched by Kiev caused a massive fire in a refinery located in the southeast of Moscow, and clouds of thick black smoke rose in the suburbs of the capital, in attacks that Ukraine says aim to deprive the Kremlin of a vital source of income to finance its war effort.
Russia seized and annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, but the vast majority of countries, including many of Moscow’s allies, do not recognize this step.
The Black Sea region has special importance for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who praised the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, and considered it a historic victory. He has also allocated many resources to it since 2014, while Ukraine asserts that the peninsula is an integral part of its territory, and that it will never officially give it up.
