Explosions rocked occupied Crimea early Tuesday, July 21, triggering new power outages across the peninsula as Ukrainian strikes appeared to target key energy infrastructure for a second consecutive day.
Local monitoring channel Crimean Wind reported that a powerful explosion was heard around 4 a.m. in the Greater Yalta area, followed by widespread power outages across nearby resort towns.
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Electricity remained available in the city of Yalta itself, but surrounding settlements were left without power.
Citing satellite imagery, Crimean Wind said fires broke out near the 110/10 kV Zorya electrical substation and a Russian Emergency Ministry (EMERCOM) building in the village of Ponizivka. Thermal signatures were detected at both facilities.
The Zorya substation, a critical node that distributes electricity across the southern coast after stepping voltage down from the main grid, had already been damaged in a strike on July 19.
The monitoring group also reported another overnight strike on the 110 kV Morske substation near the village of Morske, east of Sudak, leaving the settlement without electricity.
The facility supplies power to the village and nearby coastal resort areas. Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi previously reported an attack on the substation on July 20.
Later in the morning, Crimean Wind said the 110 kV Gaspra substation, another key energy facility on Crimea’s southern coast, was struck twice overnight. Power was briefly lost before being partially restored. According to Russian-installed energy operator Krymenergo, the facility has been undergoing major reconstruction.
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The monitoring channel also reported a large fire at the main wholesale distribution center of the “Products at Home” retail chain in Chystenke, near Simferopol, though the information has not been independently confirmed.
The chain was created in 2015 using stores seized from Ukraine’s ATB supermarket network after Russia’s occupation of Crimea and now operates more than 170 outlets across the peninsula.
The latest strikes follow Ukraine’s expanding campaign against Russian military logistics and energy infrastructure in occupied Crimea.
On July 20, the USF reported destroying seven Russian vessels in the Black and Azov Seas while simultaneously disabling seven power plants and electrical substations across the peninsula.
The continuing attacks have further strained Crimea’s already weakened power grid. On Monday, the Russian-installed operational headquarters announced the installation of public landline telephones in several cities to allow residents to contact emergency services during prolonged blackouts and mobile network disruptions.
Power and water outages have affected numerous cities in recent weeks, including Simferopol, Sevastopol, Kerch, Feodosia, Sudak, Alushta, Armyansk, Krasnoperekopsk, and Yalta.
Russian-appointed Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov has acknowledged that authorities can no longer provide reliable blackout schedules, while local administrations have reduced street lighting and begun distributing generators to communities left without electricity for extended periods.
In Sevastopol, Russian-installed officials have also abandoned the previous “2 hours on, 6 hours off” electricity schedule and advised residents to monitor radio broadcasts and use designated charging stations.
Large-scale disruptions to Crimea’s electricity and water supply have persisted since late June, when repeated Ukrainian strikes targeted substations, oil facilities, and logistics routes across the occupied peninsula.
According to Brovdi, the primary objective of this campaign is to impose a “logistics lockdown,” The campaign has already contributed to severe fuel shortages across the peninsula, as Russia’s supply chain has come under increasing strain following weeks of Ukrainian drone strikes on fuel depots and tankers delivering fuel to Crimea.
Among the first major targets was the Simferopol Combined Cycle Thermal Power Plant, also known as the Tavriyska (Tavria) TPP. Ukrainian kamikaze drones reportedly struck the natural gas-fired facility in three separate attacks between June 20 and June 25.
Russian-installed authorities, including Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhaev, have acknowledged that power outages are affecting cities across occupied Crimea. On July 14, Razvozhaev announced the introduction of a “special regime” at energy infrastructure facilities but did not explain what the measure entailed.
He urged residents to conserve phone battery life, use electronic devices only for essential communication, and reduce electricity consumption to avoid placing additional strain on the damaged power grid.
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