'Moscow is silent': Ukraine blitz leaves Crimea with ‘no fuel, no buses, no trains’

People living in the occupied peninsula of Crimea have vented their fury amid mounting chaos after Ukrainian drone and special forces strikes severed supply lines, leaving them cut off. In a video shared widely on social media, a local resident lists the cascading failures: “No ferry, no bridges, no fuel, no buses, no planes, no trains — and Moscow is silent.”

The clip, posted by Ukrainian advisor Anton Gerashchenko on X, captures long queues of vehicles stretching toward the Kerch Bridge as residents attempt to flee. Reports indicated over 700 cars in line earlier this week, with shortages of gasoline, electricity, water, and internet compounding the frustration.

Power outages have plunged parts of the peninsula into darkness, officially attributed to “technical malfunctions.” Russian-appointed authorities suspended gasoline sales to civilians and cancelled children’s summer camps and sporting events through September 1, citing security concerns at the peak of tourist season.

The pressure extends deep into Russia. Ukrainian drones struck Moscow’s Kapotnya oil refinery — the largest fuel supplier to the capital region — multiple times this month. Industry sources say the facility, which processed millions of tons of oil annually, will be offline for at least six months. The attacks have triggered fuel shortages across Russia’s 11 time zones, with long queues at filling stations, price spikes, and emergency measures under consideration.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has floated a diesel export ban, on top of existing restrictions on gasoline and jet fuel. Imports are reportedly being eyed, particularly for Crimea. Scheduled refinery maintenance has been postponed amid the crunch.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov declared that forces are “isolating Crimea with drones,” warning it could soon become an “island” with serious consequences for occupiers. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration portrays the strikes as retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Kyiv reports hitting more than 800,000 enemy targets with drones this year, nearly all domestically produced.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged threats to energy supplies and tourism but offered little in the way of a concrete response. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov vowed to protect ally Belarus from Ukrainian pressure. On the battlefield, Russia’s costly advances in eastern Ukraine continue, even as Ukrainian long-range strikes erode supply lines and oil revenues funding the war.

UN Ambassador Andrii Melnyk signalled readiness for talks based on the UN Charter but emphasised that recent successes have changed the dynamics: “This is just the beginning.”