Ukraine targeted a Russian port and fuel transit terminals in the Kerch Strait overnight from Saturday to Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Videos from social media show fiery explosions at a port late at night, with thick smoke surrounding what appear to be oil tanks.
“All of these are just responses to the brutal Russian attacks against our people. I thank the warriors of the SBU, SBS, HUR, and SSO for their successful work at a distance of about 300 kilometers from the front line,” Zelensky said.
He added that targets on both sides of the Crimean Bridge were hit: maritime logistics used for oil transportation in Russia and an oil depot in Russian-occupied Kerch.
Five people died in the attacks, and 28 were wounded.
Russian media reported that one of the people who died was on a passenger ferry in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
A local power grid operator reported outages in several areas after damage to electricity networks, while ferry traffic across the Kerch Strait was temporarily suspended.
The Kerch Strait, a 35 km. stretch that separates occupied Crimea and Russia also connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. According to the Kyiv Independent, it has been a crucial Russian logistics corridor.
Also on Saturday, Russian strikes killed at least 11 people and injured over 90.
After the attacks, gas stations in the Russian-controlled peninsula of Crimea halted all fuel sales to individuals and businesses from 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, including cash, non-cash, and voucher purchases, the Russian-installed governor said.
Fuel will only be supplied to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the peninsula, Sergei Aksyonov, the governor, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.