Massive drone strikes plunge occupied Crimea into widespread blackouts

Explosions reportedly occurred near the Balaklava Thermal Power Plant, a mobile gas turbine power plant, and a Sevastopol substation.

Following the attack, power outages hit several areas of occupied Crimea. Local residents report that Sevastopol, Simferopol, Yevpatoriya, Saky, and the Bakhchysarai district are without power, alongside the settlements of Mykolaivka, Berehove, Pishchane, and Uhlove.

Sevastopol "Governor" Mikhail Razvozhaev claimed that local air defense forces shot down 21 drones, adding that falling “debris from downed UAVs” sparked several fires.

Drones previously attacked temporarily occupied Crimea on July 28, hitting an electrical substation in Feodosia.

Razvozhaev had reported just a day prior, on July 27, that electricity restrictions were introduced across the occupied city.

Crimean Wind reported that a drone attack sparked a fire at the Tavrycheska Thermal Power Plant near occupied Simferopol on the night of July 26. The occupation utility Krymenergo acknowledged peninsula-wide power outages caused by an “external impact on power supply facilities,” triggering a critical electricity shortage across northwestern, eastern, and southern Crimea.

Commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces Robert "Madyar" Brovdi reported on July 24 that 19 energy facilities in temporarily occupied territories were hit over a 48-hour span, with 17 of the targets located in Russian-occupied Crimea.