Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Seals Crimean Border Crossings With Ukraine

Alexey Pavlishak / TASS

Russia temporarily shut three checkpoints on Crimea's border with Ukraine on Tuesday following reports that an act of sabotage could have left part of the peninsula without power and gas.

Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014 after a referendum criticized by the international community. Ukraine considers Russia’s presence in Crimea an illegal occupation.

An unnamed Federal Security Service (FSB) border official in Crimea told the news agency Interfax on Wednesday morning that three border checkpoints — Armyansk, Dzhankoi and Perekop — had suspended their work “for technical reasons.”

Later, Interfax cited an FSB spokesperson as saying work had been resumed.

In a separate report, Sergei Aksyonov, the head of the local government, wrote on Facebook that an electricity pole had been brought down and several settlements along the southern Crimean shore were left without gas supplies overnight.

“Every theory is under consideration, including diversion,” Aksyonov wrote.

The latest incident follows an 11-day blackout in December 2015 when several electricity pylons were blown up by Ukrainian activists.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more