Ukrainian forces launched a drone attack on the Balaklava power plant in Sevastopol on Tuesday evening, striking a facility that supplies nearly half of Crimea's total energy output and knocking out power across parts of the peninsula. The Ukrainian military confirmed the strike on Telegram on Wednesday.
Russia-installed Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov blamed a large-scale enemy attack on energy infrastructure and announced rolling blackouts of two hours on and six hours off until the grid is restored. Kerch was left entirely without power, and water supplies were also disrupted.
Russian authorities have begun dismantling power transformers rated between 10 and 40 MVA from the North Crimean Canal's pumping stations to restore electricity to military sites, including rail hubs, air defence systems, and radar stations, according to the Atesh resistance movement. The canal has been largely unused since June 2023.