Crimean Fuel Stations Depleted as Ukrainian Drone Strikes Disrupt Supplies
Escalating Supply Disruptions Impact Crimean Fuel Availability
SEVASTOPOL/YEVPATORIYA, Crimea, June 11 (Reuters) - Fuel stations on the Russian-held Crimean peninsula were out of petrol on Thursday, Reuters witnesses said, as a Ukrainian campaign against supply lines to the peninsula escalates.
Local Fuel Shortages and Rationing
A Reuters witness in Sevastopol, the peninsula's largest city, said that there was no fuel at most local petrol stations, with supplies struggling even to keep up with a rationing regime imposed in recent weeks.
Another, in the resort town of Yevpatoriya, said that there was a long queue outside the single working petrol station there.
Imposed Rationing and Food Shortages
Ukraine has been intensifying drone strikes on supply lines to the peninsula, which Russia seized from Kyiv in 2014. Local authorities have imposed fuel rationing regimes, with some foodstuffs also running short.
Disrupted Supply Routes and Delivery Challenges
On Wednesday, Russian-backed Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said that plans for distributing rationed petrol had been delayed because trucks had been unable to bring the fuel into the city, following recent Ukrainian strikes on supply routes.
Road, Rail, and Maritime Supply Lines
Fuel is mostly delivered to Crimea by road and rail via the Russian-held territories to the north, which Moscow overran in 2022. Those routes have increasingly been disrupted by drone attacks.
Feodosia Oil Terminal Attack
Fuel previously reached Crimea by barge to an oil terminal in the city of Feodosia, but supplies were cut after Ukraine struck the terminal in April.
Recent Drone Strikes and Regional Impact
In Sevastopol, the Moscow-installed governor said that Ukrainian drones had caused light damage overnight, with 33 downed. The Russian-backed governor of the Moscow-held part of Kherson region, which borders Crimea to the north, said that Ukraine had targeted bridges in the region, causing some damage.
Strikes Beyond Crimea
Kyiv also struck in southern Russia overnight, authorities said, causing damage including a fire at the Afipsky oil refinery that has since been extinguished.
Adygea Infrastructure Damage
The governor of neighbouring Adygea also reported damage to civilian infrastructure across the region.
(Reporting by by Reuters in Sevastopol and Yevpatoriya, Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Alex Richardson)
