Blackouts in Crimea as Kyiv hits military targets across occupied Ukraine overnight
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Ukraine's General Staff said its forces struck an airfield, ammunition depots, and bridges across occupied Ukraine overnight on July 5.
Separately, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said Kyiv had hit 16 power stations across Crimea over the past 48 hours, causing blackouts across the occupied peninsula.
Ukraine regularly strikes military infrastructure deep within Russia and occupied territories in an effort to diminish Moscow's ability to continue waging its war. Kyiv has stepped up attacks in recent months, with a particular focus on Russian logistics and energy infrastructure.
Ukraine's general staff said on July 5 that it struck the Hvardiiske airfield in Crimea, two bridges used for logistics in Donetsk Oblast, and ammunition depots in occupied areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson Oblasts.
"Hvardiiske airfield is one of the key military airfields of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula," Ukraine's general staff wrote on Telegram.
"It is used for basing operational-tactical and naval aircraft, ensuring combat sorties, logistics, and technical maintenance of aviation equipment," they added.
Brovdi posted a list of the 16 substations and transformers targeted in Crimea, along with a video that appeared to show footage of the strikes and satellite imagery comparing nighttime light levels on the peninsula on July 3 with the same view a year earlier — showing a marked drop in illumination.
Telegram news channel Exilenova Plus earlier reported that substations were targeted in a Ukrainian overnight attack.
A blackout was also reported throughout Crimea as a result of strikes on energy infrastructure, according to pro-Ukrainian channel Crimean Wind.
On July 3, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said that it had struck two Russian military air bases in occupied Crimea overnight, damaging or destroying at least seven military aircraft in its second reported attack on the Saky air base within a week.
Ukrainian drones struck seven hangars at the Saky air base where Russia stores Su-30SM, Su-30, and Su-24 fighter and bomber aircraft, according to the SBU. The agency said the strike destroyed or damaged at least seven aircraft.
During a 48-hour operation on July 1-2, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) struck 12 power substations and one gas distribution station in Russian-occupied territories, Brovdi reported on July 2.
Kyiv considers energy sites to be valid military targets, enabling Russia's war against Ukraine.
