Ukrainian Strikes on Crimea Kill 4, Halt Fuel Sales

Four people were killed and fuel sales suspended in Russian-annexed Crimea on Sunday after a major Ukrainian drone barrage, Moscow-backed authorities reported. The attack on the Kerch Peninsula, which borders Russia, left 28 wounded, according to Crimea's Russian-installed governor Sergey Aksyonov. He announced that starting at 9:00 am local time, fuel sales at Crimean petrol stations were halted, with only state enterprises allowed to purchase fuel.

The assault also killed one person on a ferry and hit an oil terminal in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, adjacent to Crimea. Parts of Crimea experienced power outages following the strikes, said local utility Krymenergo.

Separately, overnight Russian strikes in eastern Ukraine killed three people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media that Ukraine's forces targeted military logistics, the oil industry, and air defense systems in Crimea, including the Crimean Bridge. He characterized these as "long-range sanctions" and a justified response to Russia's attacks on Ukraine.

Ukraine has recently intensified drone strikes on Russian energy facilities, aiming to reduce Russia's oil revenues used to fund the war. According to U.S.-based research firm Energy Intelligence, about one-third of Russia's oil refining capacity has been taken offline due to Ukrainian strikes. Peace talks to end the conflict remain frozen, while front-line fighting is effectively at a standstill.