Vladimir Putin is 'running scared' of losing full control over Crimea as Ukraine plans punishing new strikes on the annexed peninsula in the Black Sea, according to a Western diplomatic source. The Russian high command has conducted an emergency drill called 'Crimean Alert' to rehearse repelling an expected sudden invasion by Ukrainian armed forces. The exercise involved commanders and senior reservists, highlighting Moscow's growing anxiety over the strategic peninsula.
Russian Drill Reveals Fears of Ukrainian Assault
Participant reservist Colonel Viktor Murakhovsky disclosed details of the war game, stating that the planning involved an unconventional Ukrainian landing operation 'with the mass use of drones, long-range high-precision weapons and fast boats.' The drill comes as Russian access to Crimea has been severely hampered by the destruction of key road and rail bridges linking the peninsula to mainland Russia. A Western diplomatic source commented: 'This exercise shows Putin is running scared over losing some or all of Crimea, which would be a severe and perhaps fatal body blow for him.'
Exodus of Pro-Putin Officials and Fuel Shortage
According to the partisan group ATESH, occupation administrations in the ports of Kerch and Feodosia have been ordered to 'completely evacuate valuable documents and equipment' by this weekend. An exodus of pro-Putin officials to Russia is already underway, with almost no fuel available in Crimea. Some officials 'suddenly fell ill, took health leave and hurriedly left for Krasnodar region,' ATESH reported. The group added: 'Crimean collaborators are well aware that the reckoning for what they have done is near, and Russian air defence will not save them.'
Ukraine Strikes Power Plants and Military Airfields
Overnight, Ukraine took out three power plants in Crimea, including at Bilohirsk, and attacked Russian military airfields. These strikes are part of a broader campaign to degrade Russian military capabilities and infrastructure on the peninsula. Russia also fears an imminent bid to destroy the £3 billion Crimean Bridge, which would further limit access to the popular summer holiday region that is now shunned by Russian tourists. Almost none of the seven million tourists expected this summer have arrived.
Lukashenko Warns Belarusians Against Travel to Russia
Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, Putin's closest ally, warned his people to avoid vacations in Russia. 'Please refrain from travelling to Russia today, especially to the border regions. Drones are falling there every day,' he cautioned. He added: 'We have not closed the borders. It is up to each individual to decide whether to go or not.'
Day of Mourning in Ukraine After Missile Strike
A day of mourning is being held in Ukraine for civilians killed in a Putin missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv yesterday. More bodies were pulled from the rubble overnight, raising the death toll to 30. At least four more civilians died today as Russia hit a home in Sumy region, killing two women, an elderly man, and a one-year-old girl. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated: 'Russia no longer has any other argument in favour of its war except its ballistics. Putin still intends to win by attacking residential buildings, rather than ending this war.' In Kherson, a Russian strike on a hospital killed a doctor and wounded a nurse. A major Ukrainian missile strike on energy facilities caused a blackout in the Russian border city of Belgorod, where a woman was killed.
