Ukrainian strikes knock out power in Sevastopol in Russian-held Crimea
Ukraine's Drone Attacks and Impact on Russian Energy Infrastructure
MOSCOW/KYIV, June 24 (Reuters) - Ukrainian drones knocked out power in the biggest city in Russian-held Crimea on Wednesday and targeted facilities in central and southern Russia, local officials said, underscoring the reach of Kyiv's attacks on energy infrastructure.
Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian oil refineries, depots and supply routes this year, prompting Russia's parliament on Wednesday to take action to curb growing fuel shortages in many regions.
Fuel Shortages and Measures in Crimea
Fuel issues have been particularly acute on the Crimean peninsula, which Russia seized and annexed in 2014. The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol this week mandated early closing for public transport and cafes and said street lights would be dimmed to protect the city during overnight attacks.
On Wednesday he said the latest wave had downed power supplies, and that trolleybuses would not operate and parents should keep children at home.
Work was ongoing to restore supplies even though Kyiv was "trying to deprive us of our normal living conditions and sow panic", the governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
Drone Attacks on Sevastopol Power Plant
DRONES DOWNED IN REMOTE SOUTHERN REGION
Ukraine's drone forces commander Robert Brovdi said drones had hit the main substation at the Sevastopol power plant in Crimea, which is not recognised as Russian by most countries and which Kyiv has said it will never cede.
Drone Strikes in Central and Southern Russia
Nizhny Novgorod Region Incident
In the central Russian region of Nizhny Novgorod, Governor Gleb Nikitin said falling Ukrainian drone debris damaged an industrial facility and killed two people.
The unspecified facility was not damaged critically, he said. The region is home to NORSI, Russia's fourth-largest oil refinery, one of many large oil plants in central Russia that temporarily halted or scaled back output in May in the wake of drone attacks, Reuters has reported.
Russian Air Defences and Orenburg Region
The Russian Ministry of Defence said its air defences had shot down 323 drones overnight in regions across the country.
Authorities in Russia's Orenburg region, more than 1,000 km (600 miles) southeast of Moscow, said drones had been downed over an industrial facility.
Potential Damage and Gas Supply Adjustments
It was not immediately clear whether any damage occurred in the remote region, which borders Kazakhstan and is home to a number of industrial facilities, including a gas processing plant and an oil refinery. The Kazakh energy ministry said gas was being supplied via alternative routes.
Moves to Stabilise Domestic Fuel Market
MOVES TO STABILISE DOMESTIC FUEL MARKET
Ukraine has said its strategy of targeting Russian energy facilities with long-range drones is aimed at sapping a key source of Russia's war funds and showing Russians the four-year conflict launched by Moscow is no longer distant.
Russian Legislative Response
Seeking to stabilise the domestic fuel market by boosting supply, Russian lawmakers on Wednesday approved amendments to the Tax Code that included allowing lower-quality fuel to be used in gasoline production and delaying certain equipment modernisation at refineries.
Civilian Impact and Casualties
Both sides say they do not target civilians but thousands of civilians have been killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine and fatalities have also occurred in Russia.
Recent Civilian Casualties
Three people were killed in the Russian-held Ukrainian city of Horlivka when the entrance of an apartment building collapsed after an overnight drone attack, Russia's TASS agency said, citing local emergency services.
In Russia's border Belgorod region, a man was killed and a woman was injured in a drone attack, while in the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia Russian shelling killed one person on Wednesday, local authorities said.
Verification of Reports
Reuters could not independently verify the details of the strikes.
(Reporting by Reuters; writing by Alessandra Prentice and Jekaterīna Golubkova; Editing by Jamie Freed, Andrew Osborn and Philippa Fletcher)
