Fuel stations in Crimea run dry after fresh night of Ukrainian drone strikes

SEVASTOPOL/YEVPATORIYA, Crimea — Fuel stations across Russian-held Crimea are running dry as Ukraine intensifies strikes on supply routes to the peninsula, Reuters witnesses reported Thursday.

In Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea, multiple petrol stations had no available fuel, with remaining supplies struggling to meet demand under a rationing system introduced in recent weeks, according to a Reuters witness.

In the resort city of Yevpatoriya, residents faced long queues at the only functioning petrol station, highlighting worsening shortages across the peninsula.

Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks targeting logistical and supply infrastructure leading into Crimea, which Ukraine has sought to reclaim since Annexation of Crimea by Russia. In response, local Russian-installed authorities have implemented fuel rationing measures, while reports also indicate shortages of certain food items.

Fuel supply disruptions have also been reported in multiple regions across Russia, according to data compiled from Reuters reporting. Aside from Crimea, only two regions in Siberia have officially acknowledged shortages. Authorities in other regions have attributed disruptions to panic buying, insisting that overall supply remains stable.

The Kremlin has denied widespread fuel supply problems.

In Moscow, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said during a government meeting that officials had ordered the development of a forecasting system to better manage fuel distribution and prevent future shortages.

According to the statement, the proposed system will model regional fuel market conditions in detail, aiming to identify bottlenecks and implement preventive measures before disruptions escalate.

Meanwhile, state-owned lender Sberbank warned that rising fuel prices could pose additional inflation risks for the Russian economy.

Supply Routes Under Pressure

On Wednesday, Russian-backed authorities in Sevastopol said planned fuel distribution schedules were delayed after transport trucks were unable to reach the city. Officials linked the disruption to recent Ukrainian strikes on key supply corridors.

Fuel deliveries to Crimea rely heavily on road and rail networks running through Russian-controlled territories to the north, which Moscow seized following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. These routes have increasingly come under attack from Ukrainian drones.

Earlier maritime deliveries via a terminal in Feodosia were also disrupted after Ukraine struck the facility in April, further tightening supply.

In Sevastopol, authorities reported overnight Ukrainian drone activity, claiming dozens were intercepted, though some damage occurred. Officials in Russian-controlled parts of the Kherson region also said bridges had been targeted, causing partial disruption.

Ukrainian military sources told local media that forces struck the Chonhar bridge, a key connection between Crimea and the mainland, inflicting what they described as “critical” damage and halting traffic. They also reported strikes on Armiansk, a strategic area near the narrow land corridor linking Crimea to mainland Ukraine, destroying fuel and ammunition transports.

Further strikes were reported in southern Russia overnight, including a fire at the Afipsky oil refinery, which authorities said had been extinguished.

Officials in the neighboring republic of Adygea also reported damage to civilian infrastructure.

-Reporting by Reuters in Sevastopol and Yevpatoriya; Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Alex Richardson and Alexandra Hudson/Reuters