The night of Thursday became the time of a massive drone attack on Crimea. Drones flew towards the peninsula from various directions, causing explosions and mass power outages in cities and villages.
Primorsky, Krasnoperekopsky, and Simferopol districts, as well as Simferopol, Sevastopol, Yevpatoria, and Yalta themselves, were hit. In some locations, not only flights but also powerful explosions were recorded.
Energy sector under attack
Particular damage was inflicted on the energy infrastructure. The Tavrida and Balaklava thermal power plants were shelled. As a result, Yalta was left completely without electricity for several hours. Power supply disruptions are also being recorded in other districts.
Residents and local public pages are massively publishing footage of attacks on energy facilities, confirming the scale of the operation.
Delayed warnings and air defense actions
Crimean authorities officially warned of the danger in the air only after two o'clock in the morning, although drones had already been flying for several hours. This raised questions among the population.
In Sevastopol, mobile fire groups attempted to shoot down drones directly over residential buildings, which creates additional risks for civilians, writes "Crimean Wind".
Around four in the morning, a powerful explosion occurred in the area of the "Kacha" airfield.
Context: fuel crisis and threats
Attacks on Crimea are becoming more and more regular. Cities are plunging into blackouts, and residents are facing a fuel shortage — gasoline and diesel. The fuel crisis that has engulfed the Russian Federation has also affected the peninsula, exacerbating domestic difficulties.
The Security Service of Ukraine recently reported on its operations in Crimea. At the same time, Russia is strengthening air defense near the Kerch Bridge, which, according to sources, is under threat not only from drones but also from seismic activity.
Questions about the causes of earthquakes in Crimea and the potential threat to southern Ukraine remain open — a detailed analysis is presented in an exclusive RBC-Ukraine material.