Kathrine Frich
Many parts of the peninsula now face power outages, and strict new limits on gasoline sales are in place.
Summer vacations usually mean crowded beaches, busy hotels, and long days in the sun. Families pack their bags looking for a relaxing escape from city life. But in one major holiday destination, the atmosphere has suddenly turned into a scene of panic and ruin.
Fleeing the sun
Russian tourists are rushing to leave the Crimean peninsula in huge numbers. The popular summer getaway is now the target of almost daily drone strikes.
The constant attacks have shattered the usual holiday mood. Ukrainian forces are targeting the area heavily. According to Wirtualna Polska, visitors are now desperately trying to find a safe way back home.
A video shared by the NEXTA portal on the X platform captures the sheer panic. A young Russian woman filmed herself crying at a destroyed train station.
“Here we are. We’ve arrived at the station, but it’s not a train station. We’re standing in an unfamiliar place, it’s just rubble. God, why am I here? I want to go back to Moscow. What are these ruins? I don’t know where to go,” she says in the clip.
A ruined holiday season
The summer season has turned into a total disaster for local businesses. Hotels sit entirely empty, and the beaches look completely abandoned.
NEXTA reports that the area feels almost post-apocalyptic. Local business owners are trying to attract visitors with massive discounts, but the strategy is failing.
Even cheap hotel rooms are not enough to bring people back. The occupying authorities seem unable to stop the highly accurate strikes on their infrastructure.
Rush for the exit
The panic reached a peak over the weekend. A massive fire broke out after an overnight strike hit the Kerch refinery.
Wirtualna Polska notes that the attack triggered a huge wave of departures on Sunday. A massive traffic jam of more than 500 cars quickly formed on the Crimean Bridge.
The problems are only growing worse for the people left behind. Many parts of the peninsula now face power outages, and strict new limits on gasoline sales are in place.
The tension has been building for years. Russia annexed the territory in 2014, long before starting its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.
Sources: Wirtualna Polska, NEXTA, X
