Authorities in occupied Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed illegally from Ukraine in 2014, declared a state of emergency Friday following weeks of punishing Ukrainian drone strikes.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones overnight across 13 regions, including Crimea. The peninsula, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to reclaim, has become the centerpiece of Kyiv’s campaign to demonstrate the reach of its increasingly advancing medium-range drone capabilities.
The Ukrainian military last month announced a “logistics lockdown” of Crimea, with plans to “systematically destroy Russian logistics, warehouses, equipment, command posts and supply routes at operational depth.” In the weeks since, Ukrainian forces have targeted roads, bridges and energy infrastructure to sever the peninsula from Russia and from Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine.
The assault has disrupted fuel, electricity and water supplies, and the Russian tourists who have traveled to Crimea each summer despite the war have rushed to leave.
Locals have not seen such disturbance to everyday life since the annexation. Gas stations have run dry, leaving motorists who have already waited hours for fuel vouchers to queue at the few stations still operating. Summer camps have been canceled and children evacuated, including from Artek — the iconic Soviet-era camp the Kremlin has used as a symbol of state prestige since 2014.
Cars queue for fuel at a gas station in Sevastopol, Crimea, on June 1. (Reuters)
Rolling power outages have halted water supplies that depend on electric pumps.
Kyiv intends the strikes on Crimea, which is far removed from the main front line in Donbas, to erode the sense of distance from the war that President Vladimir Putin has worked to maintain since the full-scale invasion began — and to chip away at the public perception that Russian forces can contain the fighting within Ukraine.
Ukraine has also stepped up pressure on Russia’s closest ally, Belarus, which allowed Moscow to use its territory as a launchpad for attacks on Ukraine early in the invasion. Kyiv maintained diplomatic relations with Minsk. But after Russian drone strikes on northwestern Ukraine this year, Zelensky ordered strikes on relay stations in Belarus.
Zelensky warned President Alexander Lukashenko this week that he would strike them again if Lukashenko didn’t shut them down. Zelensky said Wednesday they had been switched off.
It was the latest test for Lukashenko’s long-running gamble. He has survived for years by balancing his regime’s economic and security dependence on Russia against being fully absorbed by Moscow.
Ukrainian officials say Russia might be trying to draw Belarus deeper into the war. On Friday evening, Lukashenko flew to Putin’s Valdai residence, where the Kremlin said they discussed “the implementation of joint economic projects and issues related to regional security.”
Before the trip, Lukashenko said he had recently received Zelensky’s representatives in Minsk.
“If he thinks he can talk to us like this and then drag us into a war, he must understand that the quality of the war will instantly change,” the Belarusian president said. “This will be a completely different war. So let’s come to an agreement.”
The combination of the chaos in Crimea, record drone strikes on Moscow and fuel rationing spreading across Russia appears to be taking a toll. According to data from the Public Opinion Foundation, a polling organization with Kremlin ties, trust in Putin has fallen to 69 percent — its lowest point since the war began.
The emergency declaration stoked anxiety among residents that already had been building for weeks. Authorities appeared eager to manage the alarm, describing the measure as “an emergency situation” rather than a “state of emergency.” It should allow authorities to bypass normal bureaucratic procedures to mobilize resources, use emergency budgets and coordinate evacuations where necessary.
“This does not envision restrictions on movement and the introduction of a curfew,” Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor, wrote on social media.
Zelensky said Thursday he had authorized a 40-day strike campaign against Russian targets to “influence the aggressor state in order to press for an end to the war.” Strikes were reported to have hit oil facilities deep inside Russia.
Kyiv has been trying to reengage President Donald Trump after a months-long effective freeze in peace talks. Trump this week had rare praise for Zelensky over the offensive, saying the Ukrainian leader is “doing pretty well.”
Trump,meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, was asked whether he believed Zelensky was winning the war. [jb--emphasis is in the original article]
“He’s winning now. Well, he’s doing pretty well. … At least he’s holding on,” Trump said. He also said “a lot of people are dying on both sides.”
“I have to say he’s courageous,” Trump said. “He’s got great equipment, he’s got great people, he’s got fighters.”
Whether Ukraine’s campaign can pressure Putin into yielding is another question. The Russian leader has shown a consistent willingness to absorb enormous losses in a grinding war of attrition. Analysts warn that the Ukrainian offensive could fuel anti-Ukrainian sentiment at home.
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445 comments [June 26, 10:03]
What readers are saying
The comments reflect strong support for Ukraine and its President Zelensky, highlighting his leadership and the country's resilience against Russian aggression. Many commenters criticize former President Trump for his past actions regarding Ukraine, while others acknowledge his role in weakening Russia's alliances. There is a general sentiment of admiration for Ukraine's innovative military strategies, particularly its use of drones, and a call for continued support to ensure Ukraine's success in reclaiming its territory.
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Above article by Mary Ilyushina
Mary Ilyushina, a reporter on the Foreign Desk of The Washington Post, covers Russia and the region. She began her career in independent Russian media before joining CNN’s Moscow bureau as a field producer in 2017. She has been with The Post since 2021. She speaks Russian, English, Ukrainian and Arabic. Follow on X@maryilyushina
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