Crimea suspends civilian fuel sales amid Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure
Crimean authorities have halted fuel sales to the public, reserving supplies for state services after a series of Ukrainian strikes on energy and transport facilities in the region.
Crimean officials announced that, starting at 9 a.m. local time on Sunday, gas stations across the peninsula will no longer sell fuel to private individuals or businesses. The restriction applies to cash, card and fuel-coupon transactions, with fuel being allocated only to state services that maintain essential life-support and security functions.
The decision follows a series of reported Ukrainian attacks on energy and transport infrastructure in and around Crimea, including strikes near the port city of Kerch, which is a key node in the supply corridor linking the peninsula to Russia. Facilities on the Russian side of the Kerch Strait in the Krasnodar region have also been targeted, highlighting Kyiv's focus on disrupting routes that sustain the occupation.
Sergey Aksyonov, the head of Crimea's Moscow-appointed administration, posted on Telegram that residents should remain calm and that further measures would be communicated through official channels. He said the fuel will be reserved for "life support and security" needs, indicating a shift in priority toward state operations after months of strikes on depots, refineries, ports and supply lines.
Ukraine has said its long-range strike campaign aims to impair oil infrastructure that it believes supports Russian military activities, seeking to strain Moscow's defenses and hinder the flow of fuel to troops and logistics hubs.
