Ukrainian drone strikes knock out power in Sevastopol and across Russian-occupied Crimea

Jun 23, 2026

A massive wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on June 24, 2026, knocked out power in Sevastopol, Crimea, and targeted energy facilities deep inside Russia, including the Orenburg gas plant. The strikes have severely exacerbated fuel shortages, forcing Crimean authorities to halt civilian gasoline sales and prompting the Russian parliament to pass emergency tax amendments allowing lower-quality fuel production. Meanwhile, Moscow's largest refinery faces a six-month shutdown due to extensive drone damage.

Ukrainian drone strikes on Crimea

▪A Ukrainian drone strike on June 24, 2026, knocked out power in Sevastopol, the largest city in Russian-occupied Crimea
▪Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, stated that Ukrainian drones targeted 48 military sites and hit the main power substation of Sevastopol
▪Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russia-installed governor of Sevastopol, announced emergency measures including dimming street lights, halting trolleybuses, and closing public transport early

Russian energy infrastructure attacks

▪Russian drone strikes caused significant damage to Ukrainian state firm Naftogaz's gas production and storage facilities in the central Poltava region
▪The Ukrainian General Staff reported striking the Orenburg gas processing plant and Russia's only helium plant, causing a fire at the sites
▪Ukrainian drone strikes targeted industrial facilities in Russia's central Nizhny Novgorod region and the remote southern Orenburg region on June 24, 2026

Fuel shortages across Russia

▪Russia's deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, informed Vladimir Putin that officials are considering suspending diesel fuel exports to protect the domestic market
▪Crimean authorities suspended all gasoline sales to civilians, reserving fuel supplies strictly for government and essential services

Civilian casualties in conflict zones

▪A Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian-held city of Horlivka killed three civilians when an apartment building entrance collapsed
▪Falling Ukrainian drone debris killed two people at an industrial facility in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region

Russian legislative fuel market responses

▪The Russian parliament postponed scheduled maintenance at refineries and tapped unused fuel reserves to stabilize the domestic market
▪Russian lawmakers approved amendments to the Tax Code allowing lower-quality fuel in gasoline production and delaying refinery equipment modernization

Moscow refinery damage assessment

▪Industry sources reported that Moscow's largest oil refinery will remain offline for at least six months due to extensive damage from Ukrainian drone attacks
▪The Moscow oil refinery, the primary fuel supplier to the capital region, halted operations after being struck twice by Ukrainian drones