Mass blackouts reported across occupied Crimea

A broad blackout plunged occupied Crimea into darkness overnight on October 24, following an attack on a crucial electrical substation in southern Russia, according to Telegram monitoring channels. Exilenova+ reported the complete absence of electricity on the peninsula, citing satellite data, online monitors, and local accounts.

The Taman substation in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, which supplies electricity to occupied Crimea, was deemed damaged in an overnight assault, as confirmed by NASA FIRMS satellite imagery. Major cities like Sevastopol and Yalta were left without power in the aftermath of the strike.

Online watchdog NetBlocks also reported widespread internet disruptions across Crimea. Russia's proxy authorities in Crimea announced power outages, only to later claim that they had been resolved. Sevastopol's Russian-appointed governor Mykhailo Razvozhaev announced the temporary loss of power in the city, only for local authorities to later report that electricity had been restored in various cities.

However, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel later claimed that blackouts had once again affected Simferopol, Yalta, and Alushta.

Another drone strike on energy infrastructure was also reported in southern Russia overnight, with Governor Yury Slyusar stating that drones had damaged a transformer substation in Myasnikovsky district, causing power blackouts for nearly 130 homes. The veracity of these claims could not be independently verified at the time of publication.

Crimea, occupied by Russia since 2014, has experienced power outages before, including a widespread blackout earlier this summer when Ukrainian forces targeted 16 power stations in a bid to disrupt Moscow's war efforts.