On the night of October 6, Ukrainian drones attacked annexed Crimea. Explosions occurred near the Saki and Kacha airfields, in Feodosia, Yevpatoria, and the Simferopol district, according to the monitoring channel Crimean Wind. As a result of the strike on the Feodosia oil loading terminal, a fuel tank exploded, causing a large fire visible from tens of kilometers away. Russian authorities on the peninsula have not officially reported on the drone raid or its consequences.
The Feodosia oil depot is the largest in Crimea, with a storage capacity of up to 250,000 tons of fuel, supplying both the Russian navy and ground forces. Previously, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked this oil depot in October of last year, prompting the city authorities to declare a technological emergency. Satellite images analyzed by Crimean Wind showed that after previous strikes, 22 out of 34 fuel tanks remained intact. At that time, “Pantsir-S1” air defense systems were stationed near the depot since autumn 2022 to protect it from attacks.
The new attack comes amid a growing fuel shortage in Crimea. The Russian-appointed governor of the peninsula, Serhiy Aksyonov, reported that regular Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries caused a gasoline shortage in the region. Initially, authorities limited sales to 30 liters per person, later reducing it to 20 liters. Since late September, prices in Crimea have been recorded at 70 rubles per liter for AI-92 gasoline, 76 rubles for AI-95, and 75 rubles for diesel.
According to the analytical companies, by the end of September, about 50% of gas stations in Crimea and Sevastopol had completely stopped selling gasoline due to supply disruptions. Ukrainian strikes on refineries reduced gasoline production in Russia by about 10%, leading to fuel shortages in more than 20 other regions, including the Russian Far East.
Energy Vice Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that Russia has a “small deficit” of petroleum products, covered by accumulated reserves. To stabilize the situation, the government extended the ban on gasoline exports until the end of the year and prohibited diesel exports for those who do not produce it domestically.
