Fuel rationing takes hold in Sevastopol
Drivers in Russian-controlled Crimea are facing gasoline rationing after Ukrainian drone attacks constricted road supplies across southeastern Ukraine. Moscow-backed Crimea governor Sergei Aksyonov imposed limits on sales of the most commonly used gasoline, Ai-95, and introduced a fuel coupon system. Reuters witnesses reported long queues at filling stations in Sevastopol, the largest city on the peninsula and home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
Supply lines under sustained attack
Ukrainian forces have targeted the Novorossiya highway, a land corridor linking mainland Russia to Crimea via the occupied port city of Mariupol. Former Ukrainian lawmaker Oleg Tsaryov, now a pro-Russian figure, confirmed the road had been attacked. The campaign extends beyond road supplies, with Ukraine also hitting fuel depots and storage facilities across the peninsula.
Strategic setback for Moscow
Crimea serves as a staging ground for Russian drone and missile launches against the rest of Ukraine. The fuel crisis represents a new blow to the Kremlin's narrative that Russia is winning the four-year-old war. Analysts say the disruption of supply lines through sustained drone warfare marks a tactical shift for Kyiv, targeting logistics rather than front-line positions directly.