Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea suspended civilian petrol sales

Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea suspended civilian petrol sales as Ukraine ramped up attacks on fuel supplies on the Black Sea peninsula. Governor Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed head of Crimea, said overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28 others.

He did not specify the target of the attack. He later wrote on social media that local petrol stations would halt all sales to non-state companies and individuals for an undefined period.

He said fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted fuel supplies to Crimea in recent weeks, triggering the worst energy crisis in the region since it was annexed by Russia in 2014.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Crimean oil depot, as well as an oil transport facility in Russia's southern Krasnodar region were among the targets. He described the attacks as part of Ukraine's long-range sanctions against Russia's energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy said Russia understands only strength, and Ukraine's long-range strength is certainly working for peace.

In a rare public acknowledgment, the Kremlin has recognised the scope of the fuel supply problem in Crimea and promised to address the issue quickly.