Crimea stops civilian gasoline sales after Ukrainian strikes
Russian-installed authorities said fuel would go only to state agencies after attacks hit energy sites in Crimea and southern Russia.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Russian-installed authorities in occupied Crimea suspended gasoline sales to civilians and private companies Sunday after a new round of Ukrainian attacks on fuel infrastructure. The move tightens an energy crunch on the Black Sea peninsula, where motorists have already faced rationing, long lines and reports of resale prices far above the official market.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed head of Crimea, said on social media that overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and injured 28. He did not identify the target of that attack.
Aksyonov later said local filling stations would stop selling fuel to individuals and non-state businesses for an unspecified period. He said gasoline would be available only to government agencies responsible for the peninsula’s operations and security, and urged residents to rely on official information.
Ukraine targets fuel infrastructure
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Ukraine had struck an oil depot in Crimea and an oil transport facility in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. In a statement, he described the attacks as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” against Russia’s energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy said Russia “understands only strength” and that Ukraine’s long-range capabilities were working toward peace. The comments followed weeks of Ukrainian attacks on fuel supplies serving Crimea, which Russia seized and illegally annexed in 2014.
Russian officials in Krasnodar said separately that a drone strike caused a fire at a Black Sea oil terminal in the village of Chushka. They also said Ukrainian attacks hit a ferry and killed one person.
The Associated Press reported that Crimea has seen fuel shortages after earlier Ukrainian strikes, but that the current disruption is the most severe energy crisis there since Russia’s annexation. The peninsula depends on routes linking it to Russia, including the Kerch bridge, for some supplies.
Drivers face rationing and resale prices
At the end of May, authorities limited gasoline purchases to 20 liters, or about 5 1/3 gallons, per vehicle owner each week through prepaid coupons, according to the Associated Press. Those coupons were quickly claimed after release through an official messaging app channel, and drivers waited for hours to refuel.
Residents have used social media to trade information on where gasoline might still be available, while authorities opened a hotline for tourists who were unable to leave because of the shortage, the Associated Press reported.
Some motorists have carried fuel into Crimea from Krasnodar and other areas over the Kerch bridge. Authorities cap those private shipments at 100 liters, or about 26 1/2 gallons, per vehicle, and the Associated Press reported that some speculators have been selling gasoline at twice the market price.
The Kremlin has made a rare public acknowledgment of the scale of the shortage and said it would address the problem quickly, according to the Associated Press.
The attacks come as Ukraine has shown it can hit Russian energy assets at long range, while Moscow’s recent advances have slowed, the Associated Press reported. On June 11, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reached its 1,569th day, exceeding the length of World War I.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.