A humanitarian and economic crisis is worsening in temporarily occupied Crimea. The peninsula is seeing large-scale power and water outages, fuel shortages, a sharp rise in food prices, and a failed resort season.
This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
According to the DIU, in July 2026 the peninsula experienced a prolonged blackout. In just one week, about 1.4 million customers were left without electricity at the same time. In a number of cities, power disruptions lasted more than a week, and in some localities electricity was supplied only for a few hours at night. Prolonged disruptions to water supply were also observed.
The situation was compounded by fuel shortages. Gasoline appeared at most filling stations only once every few days, and lines stretched for more than a kilometer. The price of a liter of AI-95 gasoline, according to intelligence, reached 269 rubles at stations and up to 300 rubles from resellers.
At the same time, food prices rose significantly. In particular, kefir, eggs, and white bread in occupied Crimea cost much more than in Russia’s neighboring Krasnodar Krai.
The DIU also reports a deterioration in the business environment. In the first half of 2026, nearly 400 food-service establishments closed on the peninsula, and demand for rental housing fell sharply. Due to constant problems with electricity, water, internet access, and security, the tourist season has effectively collapsed, and some Russians who moved to Crimea are leaving the peninsula.
In addition, according to Ukrainian intelligence, the Russian occupation administration is using the crisis to increase mobilization pressure. In the Dzhankoy district, men seeking compensation for the prolonged lack of electricity and water have begun to be required to provide proof that they are registered for military service. A similar requirement also applies to women with medical training.
The DIU emphasizes that the deepening crisis is a consequence of the militarization of the occupied peninsula and Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, and that restoring normal life in Crimea will be possible only after it is de-occupied.
- Overnight, Ukrainian forces struck electrical substations and gas distribution stations in Mariupol, in Donetsk Region, and in temporarily occupied Crimea.