Ukraine Conflict Sees Power Blackouts in Occupied Crimea After Strikes
In the Ukraine conflict, occupied parts of Kherson Oblast and Crimea experienced widespread power outages following Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on energy infrastructure, occurring hours after US President Donald Trump held phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss resuming mediation efforts.
Power Outages Across Occupied Kherson and Crimea
All occupied areas of Kherson Oblast and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea were left completely without electricity. [1] Major Crimean cities including Simferopol, Kerch, Feodosiia, Armiansk, Dzhankoi and Yevpatoriia were affected. [1] No power outages in Sevastopol have been reported by some sources. [1] Russian-installed officials blamed Ukraine for attacking energy infrastructure. [1] Ukrainian drone attacks were also cited as the cause of the power outages in Crimea. [1] On 6 July, Crimea's occupation authorities stated they could not provide clear timeframes for the full restoration of electricity supply on the southern coast of Crimea and that publishing electricity supply schedules was not possible. [1] Russian-backed administration head of Yalta, Yanina Pavlenko, said that emergency crews are doing everything possible to restore electricity supply. [5] Residents of the region were urged to conserve electricity, with building illumination, outdoor advertising and air conditioners switched off and street lighting reduced by half. [5] All construction has been halted. [5] The region is already working on opening assistance centres in case of prolonged power outages. [5] In the first days of July, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces damaged 38 energy nodes in temporarily occupied Crimea and southern occupied territories. [5] Attacks had been carried out on a TES company oil and gas terminal in Kerch, an electrical substation near Simferopol, and other facilities. [5] Several electrical substations were on fire in temporarily occupied Crimea following overnight attacks. [5] The Russian occupying authorities declared a regional state of emergency in Crimea and Sevastopol. [5]
Trump's Diplomatic Calls with Putin and Zelensky
These attacks succeeded a 90-minute call between Trump and Putin. [2] Trump offered to restart diplomatic talks and send negotiators. [2] Both sides agreed to continue discussions at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. [2] Trump and Putin spoke by telephone for nearly 90 minutes. [2] Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said the talk had been quite constructive. [2] Russia seeks a resolution político-diplomática of the conflict, although taking into account the fundamental Russian approach that implies control over the Donbas region. [2] Trump also spoke with Zelensky, who declared that the call had been very good. [2] There is a possibility real of putting an end to the war, and the determination of the United States is decisive, Zelensky wrote on social media. [2] They confirmed that they agreed to continue the conversations at the NATO summit in Ankara. [2] A senior U.S. official said Trump would meet Zelensky to discuss ways to end the conflict. [4] International attention is now focused on Ankara amid cautious expectations that the Trump-Zelensky meeting could help revive diplomatic efforts. [4]
Ukrainian strikes cause widespread power outages across occupied Crimea. — Source: gdelt
Russian Missile and Drone Attacks on Ukraine
Overnight, Russia launched 125 drones and four missiles at Ukraine. [2] At least 15 civilians were killed and nearly 60 others injured in Kyiv city. [3] Across the broader Kyiv region, nearly 30 civilian casualties were reported. [3] More than 350 civilian casualties were reported across the country over the weekend. [3] The attacks damaged or destroyed energy infrastructure and fuel stations in the Dnipro, Kherson, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia regions. [3] Multiple apartment blocks and other civilian premises, including one of the universities, sustained damage. [3] At least 15 residential buildings were damaged or destroyed, including a nine-story apartment building in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district. [4] A warehouse in the Obolonskyi district was also damaged. [4] Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had launched a large-scale strike in response to what it described as Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure inside Russian territory. [4] Russian forces targeted facilities linked to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, as well as energy and oil infrastructure in and around Kyiv. [4] Military airfield infrastructure in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy, Chernihiv and Kyiv was also targeted. [4]
Ukrainian Strikes on Russian and Crimean Targets
Ukraine attacked one of the main Russian airbases in occupied Crimea. [2] As a consequence, the governor of Crimea announced that after an attack on energy infrastructure near Sevastopol, the city was left temporarily without electricity. [2] Ukraine launched drone attacks on Russia. [4] Moscow said its air defenses intercepted 47 drones over the Leningrad region on Sunday evening. [4] Power was also cut to the Crimean city of Sevastopol after what Russian authorities said was a Ukrainian attack on energy infrastructure on the outskirts of the city. [4] The strikes followed a 90-minute call between Trump and Putin. [2]
Power outages hit occupied Crimea and Kherson after Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure. — Source: ocha
Humanitarian Response and Condemnations
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned these deadly attacks by the Russian Federation. [3] The attacks tear apart homes and take innocent lives and must not be accepted. [3] Local NGOs and UN agencies continue to provide first aid, medical and psychological support, emergency shelter kits, and humanitarian cash assistance following the attacks in Kyiv. [3] Search-and-rescue operations for people who might still be trapped in the rubble are underway. [3]
Broader Context of the Stalled Conflict
This conflict is already the most lethal that has been lived in Europe since the Second World War, with an estimated number of more than half a million dead. [2] Efforts to negotiate an end to the war remain stalled ahead of the anticipated meeting between Trump and Zelensky during the NATO summit in Ankara. [4] Putin briefed Trump on the latest developments along the front line and said Russian control of the town of Kostiantynivka marked an important step in ongoing military operations in the Donbas region. [4] Zelensky said on Saturday there was a real possibility of ending the war and that continued U.S. commitment would be crucial to achieving that goal. [4]
What to watch next: Attention remains on the NATO summit in Ankara scheduled for the coming Tuesday and Wednesday 7 and 8 of July, where diplomatic talks between the parties are expected to continue.
