‘I Don’t Know When This Will End’: As Ukraine Steps Up Strikes, Crimea Grapples With Fuel Shortages and Blackouts

Key Points:

• Residents of Crimea, particularly in Sevastopol, face severe gasoline shortages due to Ukraine's intensified attacks on supply routes and energy infrastructure, leading to strict fuel rationing via QR codes and prepaid vouchers.
• Daily life in Crimea is increasingly difficult with rolling blackouts, water shortages, and limited gasoline availability, primarily reserved for emergency services and businesses, forcing some residents to travel to Russia for fuel despite discrimination at gas stations.
• The fuel scarcity has spurred a black market for gasoline, with prices surging and many fraudulent offers circulating in local messaging groups, while Ukrainian drone strikes have also disrupted power and water supplies, exacerbating hardships for residents.
• Crimea's tourism industry is suffering significant losses amid the crisis, with widespread booking cancellations and business closures, threatening the livelihood of local entrepreneurs just as the peak travel season begins.
• The Moscow Times highlights the challenges faced by independent journalism in Russia, including being labeled an "undesirable" organization, and calls for reader support to continue providing unbiased reporting amid increasing repression.