Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Ukraine is turning the occupied peninsula into an unusable logistical hub for the Russian army.
The Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula has imposed restrictions on fuel and gasoline amid shortages caused by Ukrainian intermediate- and long-range strike campaigns.
The situation on the peninsula is now so dire that the governor of Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, announced on Telegram that the authorities have imposed restrictions on how much gasoline and fuel citizens can buy.
The limit is set at 20 liters (5.28 US gallons) of fuel per week.
This is a stark contrast to a May 29 post on Telegram from the Kremlin-appointed leader of Crimea, Sergei Aksjonov, where he said that residents would be allowed to buy 20 liters of fuel per day.
A tightening grip
A recent overnight strike has escalated the pressure on local infrastructure. Ukrainian forces hit a railway substation and a locomotive, dealing a direct blow to transport links. Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that the attack disrupted regular travel across the region.
The fallout was immediate and deadly. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed governor, announced on Telegram that the train driver was killed. His assistant was wounded.
Following the blast, the Grand Service Express transport company halted passenger trains and moved travellers to buses.
This strike fits a larger military goal. Ukrainian forces want to isolate the area and starve Russian troops of supplies.
Former intelligence officer Ivan Stupak told Novaya Evropa, “The Ukrainian Armed Forces are currently attempting to impose a blockade on Crimea.”
No supplies, no troops
According to information from the ATESH partisan group, Kremlin forces have started pulling out of the Kinburn Spit northwest of Crimea near the harbor city of Odesa, after their supply routes completely collapsed.
An undercover agent working inside Russia’s Dnepr military headquarters leaked the intelligence. Without a steady flow of food, fuel, and ammunition, front-line troops simply could not hold out any longer.
Heavy casualties and relentless drone attacks have left the remaining forces scattered and vulnerable. The underground group explained that the Russian military had already moved some troops to other fronts, leaving the peninsula dangerously understaffed.
“Only the remnants of units remain on the spit, and they are no longer capable of maintaining a defense. The occupiers’ logistical system in this sector has completely broken down,” ATESH said in a statement on Telegram.
While the Kinburn Spit is a smaller and far more vulnerable area with limited supply lines, the concept of “starving out” the Russian forces seems to be the strategy of the Ukrainian campaign against Crimea.
Liberation has begun
Cutting off the peninsula requires closing every gateway. Authorities had already banned most trucks from the main highway to Rostov-on-Don after frequent drone strikes.
Now, experts believe the main bridge linking the region to Russia is the next big target.
Special drone operations could target that bridge soon. Observer Alexander Kovalenko told Novaya Gazeta Europe, “It’s a vital supply artery for the occupied territories.”
He believes mid-range drones launched from special balloons could easily travel the necessary distance to hit the structure.
Without these vital supply lines, holding the territory becomes an impossible task. Logistics will collapse completely.
Ukrainian military expert Roman Svitan told Novaya Gazett Europe: “The Ukrainian Armed Forces are currently halting such logistics and the transit of military cargo through the peninsula. We are effectively witnessing the very beginning of the operation to liberate Crimea.”
Running on empty
Shortages have created a thriving black market. Resellers are flipping fuel coupons for double the normal price.
In grocery stores, limits on staples like sugar have sparked panic buying, though locals say food is still available if you can pay.
The lucrative summer tourism industry has collapsed completely as frightened visitors flee the area. Stupak expects this growing discomfort to spark major public protests against Russian officials by July.
