22 June 2026
The queue to leave annexed Crimea from Kerch has exceeded 700 vehicles, according to the Telegram channel “Crimean Bridge: Operational Information.” People are leaving the region amid worsening fuel, water, and electricity shortages due to Ukrainian attacks. Some are posting videos on social media sharing their impressions of the situation. In one video, a girl exclaims, “This is just trash! God, why am I here? I want to go back to Moscow!”
In another, a man complains about utility service outages. “No power, no water, nothing! Some idiots started a war, other idiots supported it and still support it,” he says, noting that he has four sons and has no intention of sending them to fight in Ukraine. “I won’t go myself, and I don’t plan to die. I was born to live… and be useful to society,” he concludes. People also point to grocery store shelves with signs limiting sales per customer. In one video, a young man says he was forced to install a lock on his car’s gas tank to prevent it from being drained. “It’s not us, it’s the times,” the video’s creator comments.
On the night of June 21, Ukrainian drones attacked the oil depot at the Kerch Commercial Port and the port of Kavkaz. Following this, the so-called authorities on the peninsula, which had recently experienced a serious gasoline shortage, completely suspended fuel sales at all gas stations—to both individuals and businesses, including rationed fuel. The Kerch ferry crossing was closed, and heavy-duty truck traffic was prohibited on the Crimean Bridge.
That same day, power outages began in several districts of Crimea . The Northwest, Central, and South Coast power districts were left without power. Rolling blackouts were imposed in Sevastopol, Alushta, Armyansk, Krasnoperekopsk, and Dzhankoy, with power on for several hours at a time and then shutting off. Water supply was also restricted in Dzhankoy. According to Krymsky Veter, the cause was damage from an impact at the Tavricheskaya Thermal Power Plant near Simferopol—a burned-out tank, damaged façade, and a hole in the building were recorded.
Against this backdrop, Moscow-appointed “governor” Sergei Aksyonov announced the suspension of all summer camp admissions until September 1. The peninsula’s tourist season has been effectively disrupted: according to Travelline, bookings have fallen 58% year-on-year over the past two weeks, and 50% in June compared to May. The real estate market in Sevastopol has slumped: according to Krym.Realii, the supply of apartments significantly exceeds demand, and sellers are willing to reduce prices by up to 40%.
Robert Brovdi, Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces (call sign “Magyar”), stated that Crimea is gradually losing its significance as a military base for Russia. He predicted transport isolation, disruption of the tourist season, and resource shortages. “The way things were will no longer be,” he emphasized. Meanwhile, Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, called on Russians to leave the peninsula “while the Kerch Bridge still stands.”