Russian Authorities In Crimea Declare State Of Emergency Due To Continued Ukrainian Attacks

Russian-installed authorities in Crimea declared a state of emergency to deal with increased attacks from Ukraine, which have led to severe fuel shortages.

Peninsula head Sergei Aksyonov said on Telegram that the decision will allow authorities to make it easier to make decisions that stabilize the region. Authorities didn’t elaborate on what the measure will entail.

Crimea recently halted gas sales for civilians indefinitely, with Aksyonov saying they are needed to “ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea.”

Kyiv has been targeting fuel supplies to Crimea in the past weeks, creating the worst energy crisis in the region since Moscow seized the peninsula in 2014.

The city of Sevastopol on Monday announced “enforced temporary measures” to address the situation, including the end of public transport after 10 p.m. and the closure of large shops and cafes two hours earlier. Street lights will also be turned off during parts of the day.

In this context, Russian hardliners are urging President Vladimir Putin to escalate attacks against Ukraine as Kyiv is increasingly able to strike deep inside the country and target critical infrastructure, according to a new report.

Reuters detailed that Moscow hawks have long called for different types of escalations, including the assassination of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons.

However, the outlet added, the calls have intensified following Ukraine’s attacks that managed to strike Moscow, St. Petersburg and Crimea, including a key oil refinery just 10 miles from the Kremlin.

Konstantin Malofeyev, a nationalist mogul, said “war means victory at any cost” after the attack. “Why are we not using nuclear weapons, which our forebears developed and stockpiled with the full might of the nation precisely for ​this purpose?” he added.

In another report, the outlet detailed that repairing efforts in the refinery will take at least six months. The refinery in question is the largest fuel supplier in the Moscow region and was hit twice this month. It processed 11.6 million metric tons of oil in 2024.

Kyiv said the attack was retaliation for Russian strikes that hit a historic monastery in the country, drawing condemnation from different parts of the world.

Sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin can tolerate such rhetoric, but they can also help stoke public sentiment against any diplomacy. So far, Russia has refrained from abandoning negotiations, even if they have not made progress over the past months.