July 23, 2026

No Water on the Peninsula


No Water on the Peninsula
... Not a drop to drink. The Russian Life files

Independent outlet The Agency reports that a water supply crisis is unfolding in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure began in June; power outages are halting the operation of pumping stations. The problem is most acute in the north of the peninsula, where major power substations – which connect Crimea to the occupied territories of the Kherson region – have been targeted.  

These strikes are part of Ukraine’s campaign to blockade the illegally annexed peninsula. As a result, the region has faced a fuel shortage since May, followed by power outages and the shutdown of some enterprises. In June, Ukraine’s defense minister, Mikhail Fedorov, promised to turn Crimea from a peninsula into an island. Since then, Fedorov has stepped down, but his prediction appears to be coming true – other regions of Crimea are also experiencing power outages, and air raid sirens are constantly sounding. According to a correspondent for the publication Vot Tak who spent a week in the region, entering Crimea involves 12-hour traffic jams, as well as fear of drones that each moment can attack nearby fuel tankers.

Local residents are outraged that the government is not providing humanitarian aid to people left without water. “For a week, our electricity hasn’t been turned on even for an hour,” reports one of the pro-Russian Telegram channels, citing messages from Crimeans. “People are throwing away food, losing their jobs, and being deprived of their normal lives… city authorities are not delivering water to settlements where there is ABSOLUTELY NO water supply.” As a result, residents of other regions of Crimea are bringing water to the city of Dzhankoy and its surroundings. At first, these were spontaneous volunteer efforts, but then an organized collection drive began via social media.

A state of emergency has been in effect since late June, but the authorities emphasize that Crimea is still welcoming tourists. As a Vot Tak correspondent reported, the beaches are half-empty, but there are still vacationers there, many of whom are trying to act as if nothing is wrong. One of them, strolling along the water’s edge, said, “Everything’s fine; the sea is clean. It’s scary everywhere right now.”

 

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