The Kremlin has acknowledged “certain problems” with fuel supplies in southern Russia and occupied Crimea following a surge in Ukrainian airstrikes on energy infrastructure. State-run Tass news agency reported disruptions in several regions, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blaming panic-buying while confirming measures are being taken.
Ukraine struck the Semykolodezkaya oil plant in Crimea on Sunday night, sparking a fire at a facility used to store fuel for the Russian military. Kyiv’s military also hit an oil depot near Feodosia in Crimea and the Grushovaya oil transshipment base near Novorossiysk in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, one of the largest such hubs in southern Russia. Up to 130 emergency workers were deployed to contain a fire caused by a Ukrainian drone at the latter site.
A French Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia on Monday, the Latvian army said. The drone was believed to have crossed due to Russian electromagnetic warfare. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs praised the swift response, while a Nato official highlighted the alliance’s deterrence capabilities.
A drone crossed into Moldova early Monday and apparently exploded as Russia attacked Ukraine, the Moldovan defence ministry reported. The foreign ministry condemned the incident as underscoring the risks of Russia’s war to regional security. Meanwhile, Russian strikes killed three people and wounded half a dozen in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, and two were killed with at least 18 injured in Zaporizhzhia. A Ukrainian drone struck a passenger train in occupied Crimea, killing the driver’s assistant and injuring the driver.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced a proposed sanctions package with 80 listings targeting Russia’s military industrial complex, human rights violators, and propagandists. She estimated that Western sanctions have already cost Moscow between $1.2tn and $1.5tn.
