Kremlin-backed authorities in Crimea announced Monday a total ban on organized children’s vacation groups for the remainder of the summer, as the annexed peninsula grapples with intensifying Ukrainian attacks and acute fuel shortages.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed governor of Crimea, issued an order suspending “all bookings, admissions and accommodations for children and youth groups at recreational, wellness and hospitality facilities” across the region.
The ban, effective from June 22 until Sept. 1, also halts accommodations for “tourism-related events such as rallies, festivals, sports camps and excursions.”
The sweeping restrictions follow the suspension of gasoline sales over the weekend, triggered by ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes targeting the fuel trucks that supply the peninsula.
Between Saturday night and Sunday morning, Ukraine launched one of its largest assaults on the peninsula in recent months, targeting military and energy infrastructure.
Four people were killed in those strikes, authorities said.
The state-owned energy company Krymenergo reported widespread network damage and blackouts across Crimea following the Ukrainian air attack. The electrical failures have also disrupted water supplies, the utility company Voda Kryma said.
Kremlin-backed authorities have urged residents to drastically cut energy consumption, including by turning off air conditioning and other high-energy household appliances.
Ukraine has escalated its attacks on Russia and annexed Crimea in recent months. In particular, Kyiv has targeted Russian oil and energy infrastructure in a bid to deprive the Kremlin of the energy revenues used to finance its war.
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