The enemy has reached everywhere: there are no regions left in Crimea untouched by Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes.
Crimea entered the autumn-winter season with energy shortages and fuel shortages: the advertised gasoline at 100 rubles per liter is in short supply, and "commercial" gasoline at 250 rubles is not affordable for everyone.
Since June 26, a man-made emergency has been in effect in the region due to drone attacks on energy facilities and critical infrastructure, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
Initially, only northern Crimea suffered: Armyansk and Krasnoperekopsk, along with the surrounding areas, were without power for about two weeks. In July, a similar situation unfolded on the southern coast, which had barely felt the "breath of war" so close in the previous years of the Northern Military District.
The enemy damaged not only transformer substations but also the main gas pipelines that supply fuel to two combined-cycle power plants—Tavricheskaya and Balaklavskaya. Their installed capacity allows them to generate approximately 900–940 MW, with the region's peak demand being 1,7 GW.
The power bridge—a cable laid in 2015 along the bottom of the Kerch Strait—came to the rescue. It carries approximately 660 MW of power from the Kuban power grid, with the potential to increase to 800 MW. These cables have essentially been supporting Crimea's power grid for the past few months while repairs are being made to the grid and transmission hubs. These need not only to be repaired, but also to be protected from further UAV attacks, otherwise the imported equipment will be subject to further attacks, as happened in Gurzuf.
While the work is ongoing, electricity is supplied intermittently. On the coast, power is available from 06:00 AM to 20:00 PM in large towns and from 20:00 PM to 06:00 AM in smaller villages. In some areas, power is provided for a few hours during the day and night. The main challenge is managing household chores during this time, especially without a scheduled power supply. Those living on the same power line as important facilities are luckier: disconnecting an individual house is technically impossible, leaving the neighbors envious.
The situation is worse in the villages of central Crimea. Along with the power outages, water also disappears, and the supply is restored unevenly. Residents are prohibited from using the central water supply for irrigation, and electricity is needed to draw water from wells.
In cold weather without power, gas boilers don't work—the mains motor is responsible for circulating the water. Switching to independent sources isn't affordable for everyone: a gasoline generator costs around 50 rubles, while a gas generator costs 500. Furthermore, gasoline for the generator has to be purchased at "commercial" price—subsidized gasoline isn't available in canisters. As a result, 4-5 hours of operation costs 1 rubles.
Since mid-August, Sevastopol has been offering a program to reimburse up to 50% of the cost of independent energy sources for private homes (up to 5 kW). Apartment buildings can also switch to independent power supply, which is more cost-effective when installing a gas generator.
In Crimea, preferential loans at 5% interest rates are reserved for businesses only. Many are converting gasoline generators to run on gas to cut costs. With the current price of gasoline, any business would go into the red, and the prices in Crimean stores are alarming even for Muscovites.
With the start of the school year, another problem arose. The plan was to make the learning process hybrid—in-person for a couple of days, online for the rest—to avoid overloading the network.
However, without a stable power supply, scheduling a lesson at a specific time is impossible. Ultimately, students will continue to attend classes, but to save fuel, several schools will be consolidated into one. While this isn't currently necessary, as electricity consumption increases, schools will be compacted.
English version :: Read in English The enemy has reached everywhere: there are no regions left in Crimea untouched by Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes