Rumors have begun to circulate in Crimea that officials are taking their families to Russia
A regional state of emergency has been officially declared in the temporarily occupied Crimea and in Sevastopol.
This decision was made amid critical disruptions in the supply of gasoline, electricity, and water, which sparked panic among the local population.
The Russian administration took this step to gain additional leverage over the civilian sector and to quell rumors of an urgent evacuation of collaborators’ families.
The state of emergency took effect on Friday, June 26, at 1:00 p.m. Moscow time and will remain in effect until further notice.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed “head” of Crimea, stated that this would allow for the prompt resolution of issues related to ensuring the population’s basic needs.
However, the legal status of the state of emergency grants the occupying authorities significant powers, including the right to restrict citizens’ freedom of movement, completely suspend the operations of private enterprises, and, if necessary, carry out forced evacuations.
The critical escalation of the situation on the peninsula arose due to the successful efforts of Ukrainian forces to logistically isolate Crimea.
Systematic attacks by Ukrainian drones on the R-280 “Novorossiya” federal highway have paralyzed the movement of Russian fuel tankers and freight transport along the land corridor.
This has resulted in a total fuel shortage, the suspension of the free sale of gasoline to the public, and massive traffic jams.
In particular, on the approach to the Kerch Bridge from the Crimean side, approximately 1,800 vehicles were recorded waiting in line for inspection, and another 1,000 vehicles were waiting at the entrance.
Amid the fuel crisis and regular power outages, reports began to spread rapidly among the peninsula’s residents that top Crimean officials and security forces were secretly evacuating their families to Russia.
Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to the head of the occupation administration, confirmed the existence of widespread panic and mass calls to leave the region immediately.
He tried to reassure the population that the situation was under control, citing events from previous years.
“They say, ‘The officials have taken their families away, so we need to leave…’ You won’t get your way! Crimeans understand everything perfectly well; they’ve been through this since 2014. Energy, water, transportation… there’s been every kind of blockade imaginable!” Kryuchkov wrote on his Telegram channel.
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