Sevastopol, Crimea – The port city’s lights flickered out after Ukrainian drones struck its main power substation late last night, according to Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev. The outage has left the largest city on the peninsula in complete darkness until further notice.
Razvozhayev released a Telegram statement urging residents to stay calm. "We will not be intimidated by the lack of light. We have gone through more than that, and we will survive now," he wrote, adding that emergency services remain on full alert.
The attack is part of Kyiv’s intensified campaign to target Russian-controlled infrastructure, aiming to disrupt oil revenues and draw the Kremlin to negotiations. The affected substation’s loss has plunged homes, businesses and hospitals into darkness, while the city’s temperature was forecast to reach 30°C.
Concurrent fuel shortages have worsened the situation. Russian-installed leader Sergei Aksyonov announced the suspension of all petrol sales on Sunday, reserving fuel for government services. Panic-buying of essentials, particularly sugar, has surged.
The blackout underscores Sevastopol’s strategic importance. It is a key logistics node for Russian forces, linked to mainland Russia by the Kerch Strait bridge and a land corridor through occupied southern Ukraine.
Russian defence ministry said it destroyed over 300 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Kyiv’s air force claimed Moscow launched 101 drones, 95 of which were intercepted. The wider conflict escalated when President Volodymyr Zelensky, in June 2026, called for direct negotiations with Vladimir Putin, which the Kremlin dismissed.
Residents in Sevastopol are advised to conserve electricity, reduce phone battery use, and check on elderly neighbours. The blackout is expected to last until the next evening, as repair crews assess the damage.
