Crimea Suspends Civilian Gasoline Sales After Strikes Hit Fuel Depots

Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea suspended civilian gasoline sales Sunday after Ukrainian strikes hit fuel infrastructure on the peninsula and in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. Gov. Sergey Aksyonov said overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28 others.

He did not name the targets of those strikes. Aksyonov later announced that local gas stations would halt all sales to non-state companies and individuals for an undefined period. “Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea,” he said.

He urged residents to remain calm and to rely only on official information sources. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces struck a Crimean oil depot and an oil transport facility in Krasnodar. He described the attacks as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” against Russia’s energy infrastructure.

“Russia understands only strength, and our long-range strength is certainly working for peace,” Zelenskyy stated. Russian officials in Krasnodar reported that a drone strike started a fire at a Black Sea oil terminal in the village of Chushka. They said a separate Ukrainian attack struck a ferry, killing one person.

The suspension follows earlier restrictions. At the end of May, Crimean authorities limited gas sales to 20 liters per vehicle owner per week using prepaid coupons. Motorists are also restricted to carrying 100 liters of fuel per vehicle across the Kerch bridge.

Some speculators have been selling gasoline at double the market price. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted fuel supplies to Crimea in recent weeks. The current shortages mark the worst energy crisis in the region since its illegal annexation by Russia in 2014.