Ukraine's campaign to sever occupied Crimea from Russian supply lines has succeeded in cutting off power and fuel, forcing residents to queue for hot meals in the streets. In Massandra, a town in Crimea, local authorities set up field kitchens serving around 200 people daily, as reported by Reuters. The town administration head, Oksana Madyud, said, "as under the current circumstances not everyone has the means to cook hot food on electric hobs."
Strikes on Russian oil refineries and a sanctioned ship
Ukrainian drones struck three oil refineries in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan on Saturday, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He noted that the refineries "process millions of tonnes of oil each year" and are located nearly 1,600km (994 miles) from Ukraine. The Russian online news outlet Astra reported that a drone set an oil refinery in Ufa, Bashkortostan's capital, on fire.
Zelenskyy also confirmed that a sanctioned Russian container ship, the Yanina, sank in the Black Sea after being hit by Ukrainian drones. He listed the ship among "facilities that sustain the war effort." Russia's state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, whose shipping subsidiary FESCO operates the vessel, claimed the ship was carrying "civilian goods" such as frozen food and construction materials.
Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant loses off-site power for 23rd time
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Saturday that Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost off-site power for nearly two hours, marking the 23rd such occurrence since the full-scale Russian invasion. The plant, illegally occupied by Russia, is not operating but requires external power for cooling systems to maintain the safety of its nuclear materials.
Crimea residents endure power cuts, rely on field kitchens
In Massandra, residents like Marina, who has a bad leg, found the lack of electricity challenging. She said the climb down from her 10th-floor apartment was difficult, but the power outage had driven her to seek a gas cooker and gas cylinders. Another resident, Alexandra, said she was lured by the smell of lunch after going without electricity for 10 days. "They turned it back on today, at 4 o'clock" in the afternoon, she added, but she was unsure the lights would stay on when she returned home.
Lithuania protests after embassy damaged in Kyiv
Lithuania's foreign minister, Kestutis Budrys, said on Saturday that its embassy in Kyiv was damaged when Russian missiles struck nearby. The Lithuanian foreign ministry reported no injuries but noted broken windows, damaged solar collectors, and debris scattered across the yard. Budrys said, "Today we will summon the Russian embassy representative to protest. We understand this won't stop this madness and aggression against Ukraine. What might stop it is continued support to Ukraine, raising its resilience and piling pressure on Russia through sanctions so it finally sits at the negotiation table."
Kyiv and Kherson suffer casualties from Russian strikes
Recovery efforts continued in Kyiv after a Russian missile and drone barrage killed at least nine people and wounded 33 civilians over Friday night into Saturday. A five-story residential building in the Solomianskyi district was damaged, and a fire broke out. Rescue workers evacuated 35 people from the upper floors, with two deaths and eight injuries, including two children, according to Ukraine's state emergency service. In the Darnytskyi district, seven people were killed and 14 injured after the attack caused fires and damage to houses, vehicles, and buildings. Emergency workers also extinguished a fire in a non-residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district. A Russian airstrike killed one person and wounded five more in Kherson, local officials said.
Zelenskyy pleads for Patriot missiles
President Zelenskyy renewed his plea for Patriot missile systems, stating, "Every package of ballistic missile interceptors saves the lives of our people. And every night without them results in more casualties." Due to air defence shortages, Ukraine was only able to shoot down one out of 27 ballistic missiles in Friday night's barrage, Zelenskyy said.
