Authorities in Russian-occupied Crimea have declared a state of emergency amid a sharp escalation in Ukrainian air attacks and severe disruptions to electricity and fuel supplies.
The outages have also affected Sevastopol, where authorities have imposed restrictions on public transportation, business operations, and public street lighting.
According to Russian officials, air defense systems have intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones during the latest wave of attacks, including over Moscow and Crimea. Kyiv says the strikes are retaliation for Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine and are part of broader efforts to weaken Moscow’s military capabilities.
Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks in Ukraine have caused casualties in the Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy regions, with both fatalities and injuries reported, including among civilians.
In a separate development, France has seized an oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which is believed to be used to circumvent Western sanctions, further increasing tensions with Moscow.
Elsewhere, Ukraine has announced plans to develop its artificial intelligence capabilities with support from the private sector, while Kyiv and Moscow have exchanged 160 prisoners of war.
It has also been reported that former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, a prominent figure within Russia’s political and security establishment, has died.
