Blackouts hit Russia-occupied Crimea as military load strains grid, disrupts comms

The disruptions began overnight between April 3 and 4, initially affecting residential neighborhoods in suburban areas before spreading to Yevpatoria by morning.

In Saky, strict electricity rationing schedules were introduced, yet frequent interruptions persisted.

The occupation authorities have attributed the outages to "technical reasons," but Atesh argues that the grid is unable to handle the increased demand caused by the military facilities and electronic warfare activity in the area.

By the evening of April 4, power in Yevpatoria was intermittently restored, followed by frequent blackouts. Locals also report mobile internet outages and GPS disruptions across western Crimea.

"The occupiers are trying to 'blind' our eyes in the sky, leaving civilians without communication. We see every one of your blacked-out bases. Crimea is not a rear area; it is a zone under our control. The system is sparking and will soon flare up for real," the group said.