Ukraine Hits 196 Russian Ships and 100 Energy Sites to Isolate Crimea

3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Aug 1

196 Russian ships and more than 100 energy facilities were hit in the past month, Ukraine's unmanned-systems commander said, as Kyiv widened drone strikes on Crimea and supply routes in occupied southern Ukraine.
The campaign targets the M14 highway, small tankers and tugboats in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea, and transformer substations to choke fuel, power, supplies and reinforcements for Russian forces.
Crimea is already showing strain: fuel coupons issued in late May ran out within 24 hours, a state of emergency was declared after repeated outages, and residents report black-market gasoline, halted transport and food shortages.
Ukrainian commanders say they are deliberately sparing the Kerch Bridge as an escape corridor for civilians while trying to make Crimea unusable as a logistics hub for Russian troops in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Military analysts say the pressure could worsen by autumn for up to 3 million people dependent on Russian supplies, and may eventually strengthen Kyiv's leverage in any ceasefire talks.