Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov confirmed that Kyiv is deliberately trying to isolate Crimea from Russia’s supply lines and ultimately from Moscow’s control.
In an interview on Wednesday, Fedorov said, "Crimea is being isolated by drones. It appears that the Crimean Peninsula will soon become an island." He added, "This could lead to very unexpected consequences for the Russians. I cannot say more."
Fedorov stated that Kyiv procured 300% more medium-range attack drones in the first four months of 2026 compared to the entire year of 2025. These medium-range attack drones reportedly have a range of 20 to 200 kilometers.
These drones enable Ukrainian forces to operate near the front lines, in southern Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation, and along the logistical routes supporting Moscow’s troops. These routes extend along the Sea of Azov coast, where all supply lines to the annexed Crimea are located.
According to monitoring Telegram channels, a railway bridge in Russian-occupied Crimea was hit in a drone attack on Thursday, causing a fire. The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed that a day earlier, Ukrainian forces targeted a road bridge over the North Crimean Canal near the village of Stavky and another bridge near Voinka in the occupied Kherson region.
Fedorov said Kyiv launched a program described as a "logistical blockade," providing direct additional funding to military units capable of quickly purchasing and deploying medium-range attack drones. "A very difficult hell is beginning for the Russians," he said. "Logistical lines are being cut. Crimea is being isolated."
Kyiv is increasingly targeting Russia’s capacity to sustain its forces in Crimea. This is argued to be making military operations and Moscow’s presence on the peninsula increasingly unsustainable.
Crimea’s geographic location, situated between mainland Ukraine, Russia, and the broader Black Sea region, makes it strategically important and complex.
To the north, Crimea is connected to Russian-occupied southern Ukraine through a narrow land corridor along the Perekop Isthmus and a network of roads and railways passing through parts of the Kherson region occupied since 2022. Moscow reportedly uses these land supply routes to transport troops, ammunition, and fuel to the peninsula.
This area is systematically targeted by Kyiv to disrupt this flow. Russia supplies fuel—gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel—to its forces in Crimea through three main channels: road and rail tankers crossing the Kerch Bridge from Russia, maritime shipments, and land routes through occupied southern Ukraine.
As Ukraine increasingly targets these connections with drones and precision strikes, Kyiv’s forces are said to have triggered the most severe fuel crisis since Russia’s illegal annexation of the peninsula in 2014. The Kremlin has reportedly acknowledged the scale of the problem in a rare public admission.
Crimean Tatar Leader Urges Russians to Leave
Refat Chubarov, head of the Crimean Tatar People’s Assembly, called on Russian citizens illegally residing in temporarily occupied Crimea to leave the peninsula immediately.
In a video message posted on social media, Chubarov said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been conducting precise and effective attacks on Russian military facilities in the peninsula for weeks, and the intensity of these attacks will only increase.
Chubarov said, "I want to address another segment of Crimea’s current population, those who settled on the peninsula after February 27, 2014."
According to Ukrainian officials, between 500,000 and 800,000 Russians have illegally settled on the Ukrainian peninsula since 2014. Chubarov stated, "Your presence in occupied Crimea is illegal under both Ukrainian national law and international law, supported by fake Russian property documents."
"As you can see, Crimea has finally become a frontline area, and its liberation from Russian occupation forces is inevitable."
Chubarov told Russians in Crimea that if they leave the peninsula in time, they can still avoid "inevitable punishment." He said, "Every day the Kerch Bridge remains operational is an opportunity for you to leave Crimea safely and voluntarily. Soon, such an opportunity will no longer exist."
He also urged not to wait until the Kerch Bridge is destroyed and the land corridor is completely cut off.
