The lights went out in Sevastopol on Wednesday after a Ukrainian drone attack knocked out the main power substation in Crimea’s largest city, leaving residents facing hours without electricity in 30C heat. Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev warned some areas would remain powerless until the evening, urging residents to save phone batteries and check on elderly neighbours. “We will not be intimidated by the lack of light. We have gone through more than that, and we will survive now,” he wrote on Telegram, while also accusing the enemy of “striking vilely” to sow panic.
The attack is part of a coordinated Ukrainian campaign against Russian-held energy infrastructure, designed to damage oil revenues and force President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, Kyiv has said. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said drones hit 48 operational and planned military sites, and that the Sevastopol substation was among them. Explosions were also heard near Bakhchisarai, Kerch and Mount Ai-Petri, where a Russian aerospace forces radio battalion is based.
“Ukrainian drone strikes knock out power in Sevastopol, Crimea, as Kyiv intensifies attacks on Russian infrastructure.”
The blackout comes amid growing fuel shortages across the peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014. On Sunday, Russian-installed leader Sergei Aksyonov suspended all petrol sales, reserving supplies for government services, while panic-buying emptied shops of sugar. Ukraine has also targeted key bridges linking Crimea to occupied southern Ukraine, isolating the region.
Beyond Crimea, Kyiv has taken the war to the heart of Russia. Last week, Ukraine launched 1,000 drones at Moscow – its biggest aerial attack since the war began – destroying a major oil refinery and forcing the Kremlin to pull air defence units from the front line. Nato officials believe the strikes have weakened Putin’s grip on power, according to assessments. Air Chief Marshal Sir Johnny Stringer, Nato’s deputy supreme allied commander Europe, signalled the severity of the situation. “If I were him, I would be looking at my options because they do not look good,” he told a Royal United Services Institute conference in London.
Ukraine’s defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said the strategy was to “exhaust” Russian forces and bring Moscow to the table. “Yesterday, we saw Putin’s response. He said he does not want to see consequences for infrastructure in Crimea. That was said yesterday. Today, Sevastopol is without power,” Fedorov said. “Putin is trying to respond to what is happening, but I believe the investment made over the last few years is paying off.” With Nato noting 500,000 Russian casualties and Kyiv claiming 30,000 enemy troops killed or wounded each month, the pressure on the Kremlin shows no sign of easing.