Kathrine Frich
He explained that Russian forces are simply ignoring these locations.
When basic utilities collapse during a conflict, daily life becomes a grind. Whole communities suddenly find themselves cut off from the modern world while leaders focus their attention elsewhere. The reality on the ground often looks very different depending on your postcode.
Left in the dark
Residents across occupied Crimea are currently living through severe power failures. In some areas, locals have not seen a single spark of electricity for well over a week.
The blackouts hit the Dzhankoi, Armiansk, and Krasnoperekopsk districts the hardest. Denys Chystikov, a Ukrainian presidential representative for Crimea, outlined the crisis during a recent interview with Radio NV.
He explained that Russian forces are simply ignoring these specific locations. He told the station, “The northern and western parts of Crimea are highly problematic for them. In particular, the Dzhankoi, Armiansk, and Krasnoperekopsk districts: there has been no electricity there for nearly ten days, and they are doing nothing,”
Right now, repair crews and resources are reportedly heading only to major cities.
Favouring the tourists
Russian officials appear to be protecting areas with higher populations. They want to keep the lights on for tourists while leaving rural towns stranded in the dark.
Chystikov made this divide clear. He noted, “The occupation authorities are trying to restore it where there are more people, locals or vacationers, and have completely abandoned the northern part of Crimea.”
This unequal treatment is sparking furious reactions from locals. The Ukrainian official stated, “Social tension is already rising in these regions,”
Rising local anger
A total lack of internet and mobile service is hiding the true scale of the outrage. Citizens can only complain when they physically travel south to places like Simferopol.
Chystikov detailed this new wave of frustration. He explained, “In particular, we are seeing more and more reports from local residents. Perhaps there would be more of them if there were electricity and communications. But those who break through, who travel to Simferopol or the southern coast, write highly angry messages, something we virtually never saw before.”
Power networks across the peninsula started failing in late June. This collapse follows a string of targeted Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy hubs, causing massive disruptions.
Most recently, the Crimean Wind channel reported an attack on the Balaklava power plant in Sevastopol. These sustained hits leave Moscow scrambling to keep its occupied territory running.
Sources: Radio NV, The New Voice of Ukraine, Crimean Wind Telegram channel
