Putin’s prized peninsula has been rocked by a major Ukrainian assault after a wave of drone strikes hit military targets, air defences and critical infrastructure — leaving parts of Crimea without power and raising fears Moscow is losing control.
Ukraine’s security services and special forces said they carried out a series of overnight attacks targeting Russian military positions in occupied Crimea, including airfields, missile systems and infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war effort.
The strikes reportedly hit the Saky and Hvardiiske military airfields, damaging aircraft storage facilities, while Ukrainian forces claimed to have destroyed or damaged elements of Russia’s advanced S-400 and Pantsir air defence systems near the Kerch Strait.
“The occupiers are losing control of Crimea’s skies,” Ukraine’s Security Service said.
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The assault triggered widespread disruption across the peninsula, with reports of explosions, blackouts and damage to energy facilities.
Residents were left facing growing frustration as Russian-installed authorities admitted large parts of Crimea had been affected by power outages. Fuel supplies have also come under pressure, with civilian petrol sales previously restricted amid fears over shortages.
A video circulating online captured the anger of locals listing the problems facing the region: “No ferry, no bridges, no fuel, no buses, no planes, no trains — and Moscow is silent.
The strikes are part of a growing Ukrainian campaign to hit Russian logistics and military infrastructure far behind the front line.
Ukraine also claimed attacks on strategic industrial sites inside Russia, including facilities in Orenburg Oblast linked to gas processing and helium production — industries considered important for Russia’s military and high-tech sectors.
The Special Operations Forces said the attacks were carried out with help from underground resistance networks operating inside Russian territory.
The Kremlin has increasingly faced pressure as Ukrainian drones continue reaching deeper into Russia, targeting fuel facilities, military communications sites and industrial infrastructure.
Earlier attacks reportedly damaged facilities linked to Russia’s energy network, including sites supplying fuel and supporting Moscow’s war machine.
Kyiv says the strategy is aimed at reducing Russia’s ability to sustain its invasion by targeting the systems that keep its forces supplied.
Ukrainian officials have warned that Crimea — annexed by Russia in 2014 and heavily militarised since — is becoming increasingly vulnerable to long-range strikes.
Meanwhile, Moscow has continued to insist it can defend occupied territory, despite repeated Ukrainian attacks exposing gaps in Russian air defences.
The latest strikes mark another escalation in the battle for Crimea, transforming the peninsula once presented by Vladimir Putin as a symbol of Russian power into a growing test of Moscow’s ability to protect its most valuable occupied territory.
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