Crimea declares state of emergency after Ukraine attack on power grid

Ukraine’s disruption of Russian military logistics has intensified over the past week, with high-impact attacks on Russian-occupied Crimea and satellite communications centers near Moscow, two regions where Russia, in theory, prioritizes air defense.

Kremlin-backed authorities in annexed Crimea declared a state of emergency on Friday afternoon, after several days of intense Ukrainian attacks which left parts of the peninsula without electricity and worsened difficulties already felt by the population, including fuel shortages and restrictions on public transport.

“This state of emergency will remain in force until the situation improves“, said the governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayevin a video published on Telegram, in which he announced a state of emergency throughout the city.

Sergei AksyonovRussian-appointed governor of Crimea, his own video declare a state of emergency throughout the regionhighlighting the economic justification of the measure.

“This approach should simplify and speed up the complaints process for material damage,” said Aksyonov.

According to Razvozhayev, the state of emergency will allow local business owners to invoke force majeure clauses and will enable residents to request financial compensation for electrical equipment damaged as a result of rotating electricity cuts.

In addition to allowing financial support, the state of emergency authorizes authorities to restrict freedom of movement.

Crimea has faced rotating electricity cuts over the last week, after Ukrainian airstrikes targeted energy infrastructure, says .

Authorities asked residents to limit energy consumptionwhile repair teams attempt to restore normal operation of the regional electricity grid.

Razvozhayev highlighted that instability in the electricity supply caused water pressure problems in some areas of Sevastopol, the city where the Russian Black Sea Fleet is based. According to the governor, the water supply will return to normal as soon as the electricity grid stabilizes.

At the same time, the maritime passenger transport in Sevastopol Bay was suspended on Friday morning, although transport authorities did not specify the reasons for the suspension.

They were also imposed restrictions na , which connects Crimea to Russia. According to authorities, more than 2,000 vehicles were waiting to cross, with waiting times of around five hours.

Although officials did not explain the reason for the delays, Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the bridge since the 2022 Russian invasion.

Earlier this week, Crimean authorities said they would halve thenumber of daily trains to and from Russia, cutting routes from 14 to seven over the next two weeks.

All remaining lines will now end at the Kerch-Yuzhnaya station, next to the Kerch bridge, with passenger transport in the rest of the peninsula being ensured by coordinated bus connections.

In recent weeks, Ukraine intensified drone attacks medium range against military trucks and tankers supplying Crimea from the north, which has caused local gasoline shortages.

Although the peninsula is directly linked to mainland Russial across the Kerch Bridge to the east, Ukrainian attacks in recent years have led Moscow to restrict use of the bridge to dangerous cargo, such as fuel. Alternatively, supply lines began to depend on land corridors to the north.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces said earlier this month that the expanding attack campaign could soon force Russia to take risks again the use of the Kerch bridge for military transport.

A accumulation of problems is having a significant impact on the local economy, which relies heavily on tourism. The news reported on Friday that Crimea recorded a sharp drop in hotel bookings, with cancellations rising by around 88% compared to the same period last year.