Power cut, communications crippled in occupied Crimea after Ukraine's large-scale operation
Crimea loses power after strike by Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (photo: dpsu.gov.ua)
Ukrainian forces are carrying out large-scale power disruptions in Russian military rear areas in the temporarily occupied territories, leaving Russian troops without electricity and communications, according to Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of the 414th Separate Battalion of the Unmanned Systems Forces.
Sweeping air defense suppression, isolation of Crimea
Commander "Madyar" Brovdi reports that the Unmanned Systems Forces are conducting a sustained operation to dismantle the Russians' rear infrastructure. Ukrainian forces create logistical and fuel shortages for Russian troops, destroy air defense systems, and consistently disable power facilities and communications.
The main objective is the complete isolation of Russia's military presence on the Crimean Peninsula.
Between July 1 and 5 alone, the Unmanned Systems Forces disabled 37 power facilities across the occupied south of Ukraine. In recent days, the troops have cut power to 16 key facilities.
Ukrainian forces massively disrupt #power supply in #Russian military rear areas in the temporarily occupied territories of #Ukraine, leaving #Russians without #electricity and communications pic.twitter.com/TwA8QpAMVd
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) July 5, 2026
Lists of substations hit
The military released a list of facilities that recently ceased operating as a result of successful strikes:
- In occupied Crimea: The 110 kV electrical substations Kovylne, Stepne, Traktove, Nyva, Zymne, and Saky; the 220 kV Bakhchysarai substation; the 330 kV West Crimea substation near the settlement of Karierne; and 35 kV facilities in Yany Kapu and Slovianske. Operations on the peninsula were carried out by the 9th Kairos Battalion of the 414th Madyar's Birds Separate Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces, the 412th Nemesis Separate Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces, and the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces.
- In the Kherson region: The 150 kV substations Henichesk and Overianivka, and a transformer in Preobrazhenka, were struck.
- In the Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions: Transformers were destroyed in the settlements of Lozivskyi and Pokrovske in the Luhansk region (by the 20th K-2 Separate Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces), and in Novovasylivka in the Zaporizhzhia region (by the Nemesis brigade).
Russian propaganda outlets and military facilities are now being forced to switch to generators, which significantly complicates logistics and support for Russia's troops.
Outcomes of strikes on Russian military targets
Ukraine's Defense Forces continue to destroy Russian military capabilities and equipment on a systemic basis, both in the deep rear and in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
In particular, since the beginning of 2026, the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine have increased the number of successful strikes against operational and strategic targets deep inside Russia-held territory by 1,150% and have officially published a list of the targets they have attacked.
At the same time, the Russian military aviation has also suffered heavy losses.
Most recently, Ukrainian drones carried out a successful strike on Crimea. During the operation, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck fighter aircraft at the Saky air base for the second time in a week, disabling seven Russian warplanes, and also targeted aircraft hangars at the Hvardiiske air base.
