Ukraine strikes Kerch ferry crossing and ports, halting fuel sales across Crimea

Ukrainian drone strikes on the night of June 21, 2026 targeted the Kerch ferry crossing, the port of Kavkaz on the Russian side, and the port of Kerch in Crimea, killing at least five people and injuring 29. In response, all petrol sales across Crimea were suspended and power outages were introduced in Sevastopol, with scheduled cuts expected to continue until June 26.

Ukraine Strikes Kerch Ferry and Ports

Ukrainian drones struck the Kerch ferry crossing, the port of Kavkaz on the Russian-held mainland side, and the port of Kerch in Crimea overnight on June 21, 2026, in one of the most significant attacks on Crimean infrastructure in recent months. The strikes killed at least five people, wounded 29, and triggered cascading disruptions across the peninsula, from fuel supply shutdowns to rolling power outages in Sevastopol.

According to the Krasnodar Region operational headquarters, one person was killed and one injured on the ferry "Panagia" during the attack. Ferry services were immediately halted, and truck drivers were directed to use the R-280 highway route through Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, Mariupol, Melitopol and Simferopol as an alternative.

Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-appointed head of Crimea, reported four deaths and 28 injuries on the Kerch peninsula, the eastern portion of Crimea, but provided no further details on the exact locations or circumstances of the casualties.

Sevastopol Drone Crashes into Residential Building

In Sevastopol, one drone downed by electronic warfare systems crashed onto the roof of a multi-storey residential building in the city centre. Russia-appointed Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said the area was cordoned off and residents evacuated, adding that no casualties were recorded at that site.

Parts of Crimea lost power following the strikes due to what the utility company Krymenergo described as "technological damage" to electrical networks, with emergency repair teams deployed. Whether the grid damage was directly caused by the strikes remains unclear. Razvozhaev announced a temporary power cut schedule in Sevastopol "to relieve overload on electricity networks" beyond the city limits, though he later stated that the overload had been resolved in most districts. However, the Sevastopolenergo company's published schedule indicated that some addresses would be without electricity during daytime hours from June 22 to June 26.

Fuel Sales Suspended Across Crimea

From 9 a.m. on June 21, all petrol sales at filling stations across Crimea were suspended, covering cash payments, card payments, and the rationing coupons that had been introduced earlier (which had allowed purchases of up to 20 litres). Aksyonov announced that fuel would henceforth be allocated exclusively to state services responsible for "ensuring the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea."

Oil Terminal Hit, S-400 Radars Destroyed

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces stated that the overnight attack had struck an oil terminal in Kerch used for transferring petroleum between rail, storage tanks and tankers, and for refuelling vessels serving the ferry crossing. Volodymyr Zelensky wrote that targets on both sides of the Kerch Bridge, which serve as marine logistics hubs for oil in the Krasnodar Region, were struck, along with four radar stations belonging to S-400 air defence systems and two Pantsir air defence complexes.

Ukrainian Telegram channels reported fires at both Kavkaz and Kerch ports, the latter less than a kilometre from the Kerch Bridge, citing data from NASA's FIRMS satellite fire-monitoring system and footage from eyewitnesses on the ground. Russian authorities provided few details about the scale of damage to military or industrial infrastructure.