Crimea is becoming trap for Russian forces, expert says
Crimea could be left without fuel, ammunition, and electricity (photo: Russian media)
Crimea is gradually turning into a trap for Russian forces. If logistics routes are completely cut off, a large Russian military grouping could find itself in total isolation, without fuel, ammunition, or electricity, said Eskender Bariiev, Chairman of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center and a member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.
The Russian army could end up in a large-scale trap
According to the expert, the peninsula's geographical location, combined with the successful actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is turning it into a zone of extreme danger for Russian forces.
"Crimea has now become a natural cauldron. If logistics are completely cut off, the troops whose numbers have been increased on the territory of Crimea will find themselves trapped. And without fuel and without electricity supplies, they will not be able to carry out their military tasks," Bariiev stressed.
He added that under such conditions, maintaining and preserving control over the peninsula would be an extremely difficult task for Russia.
Critical situation with electricity and gas
In addition to the obvious fuel shortages, the energy supply situation in occupied Crimea has deteriorated significantly. Energy infrastructure used by Russian forces has come under systematic strikes.
Bariiev explained that the electricity problems are directly linked to strikes on gas facilities:
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The strikes targeted not only electrical substations but also gas distribution facilities.
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The peninsula's main power plants — Balaklava (in Sevastopol) and Tavriya, which were built after 2014 to provide Crimea with an autonomous power supply — operate exclusively on gas.
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Disruptions in gas supplies automatically paralyze electricity generation at these thermal power plants.
Panic among civilians and the collapse of the tourist season
The energy and logistics crisis is already affecting daily life on the peninsula and its economy. Residents of Crimea are preparing for a worst-case scenario, while Russians are canceling trips in large numbers.
Food remains available in stores, but people have begun actively purchasing long-shelf-life products.
More than 58% of Russians have already canceled previously booked stays at Crimean sanatoriums and guesthouses.
Russians are also returning tickets to the peninsula in large numbers, as they are seeing reports that reaching Crimea is becoming nearly impossible due to disrupted logistics.
According to Bariiev, such a mass boycott of vacations will deal a severe blow to Crimea's economy, which is heavily dependent on subsidies and the summer tourist season.
Attacks on Russian forces in Crimea
Over the past week, Ukrainian forces have carried out a series of strikes against targets in occupied Crimea. Among the targets hit were railway bridges, the Hlibivske underground gas storage facility, an oil depot near Kerch, radar stations, and gas compressor stations used to support Russian forces.
Today, June 23, a fire broke out in petroleum storage tanks following a strike on a thermal power plant in Kerch, while power outages were reported in a number of cities and districts across the peninsula.
Against the backdrop of the attacks, the local authorities tightened restrictions, including reducing the operating hours of public transport, retail businesses, and food establishments, as well as temporarily restricting fuel sales and introducing scheduled power outages.
According to the Atesh partisan movement, there has also been an increase in the evacuation of families of members of the local administration and Russian security structures from Crimea.
