Explosions shake occupied Crimea overnight as power grid comes under fire

Analysts reported a fire at a 110 kV electrical substation in Saky after satellite imagery detected a wide range of heat signatures in the area.

A separate fire erupted at the 110/35/10 kV electrical substation in Staryi Krym, which analysts describe as a critical junction in the regional 110 kV power grid.

Power outages were later reported in Staryi Krim and surrounding villages.

The overnight strikes also targeted logistics routes in the peninsula. A fire was spotted at a railway bridge near the village of Marianivka, where an electrical substation also caught fire.

The railway bridge spans the Krasnohvardiiske branch of the North Crimean Canal.

Explosions rang out across occupied Crimea overnight on July 3, as local residents reported an ongoing drone attack.

Fires broke out at two electrical substations in western occupied Crimea following a suspected strike overnight on July 2.

The situation in Crimea

Crimea’s fuel crisis intensified in June amid systematic Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and logistics facilities. Multi-kilometer traffic jams have formed on roads leading out of Crimea. Russian occupation authorities announced the closure of summer camps in Crimea, as the local tourism season has effectively ground to a halt.

Russian-installed Krymenergo announced “temporary power cutoffs” across Crimea on June 25.

The peninsula has come under drone attacks almost every night, with explosions reported in multiple cities. Ukrainian officials say military facilities, electrical substations, oil terminals and other Russian infrastructure have been hit.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces have also continued striking bridges and crossings linking Crimea with Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine.

Russian-installed authorities declared a state of emergency in Crimea on June 26.

A fire broke out at the Saky combined heat and power plant in temporarily occupied Crimea after an overnight attack on June 28, with Crimean Wind reporting 16 explosions during one hour.