Ukraine steps up campaign to isolate Crimea and heap pressure on Putin

Wave after wave of strikes that have caused fuel shortages and power outages on the Russia-annexed Crimean Peninsula will prove a “psychological breaking point” for Moscow, according to the commander of Ukraine’s drone forces.

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Alongside its wider campaign of drone strikes deep inside Russia, Ukraine has stepped up its effort to isolate Crimea and has, for weeks, been striking a key highway linking the mainland with the peninsula, precipitating a fuel crisis that led to miles-long lineups for gas before civilian fuel sales were completely halted Sunday.

Ukraine is after “total resource and logistical exhaustion,” Robert Brovdi, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said in a Telegram post Sunday, adding that it was targeting Crimea’s transport, energy and tourism sectors.

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Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin directly, he added: “It will never be the same again.”

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