Jerusalem Post/World News/Russia-Ukraine War"The moped noise hampers the work of defense systems. Their engines sound similar [to drones]," said an official regarding the temporary ban. Follow us on GoogleA Russian police officer stands guard at the scene following an overnight explosion at a multi-storey residential building in Sevastopol, Crimea, March 24, 2026.(photo credit: REUTERS/ALEXEY PAVLISHAK)ByREUTERSJUNE 17, 2026 05:00Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, has banned the use of motorized vehicles such as scooters, quad bikes, and motorcycles at nighttime, saying they sound like drone attacks, Moscow-installed authorities said.Sergei Aksyonov, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor, said the ban, which he called a temporary measure to guard military and other important facilities, would be in place between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Wednesday onwards."The moped noise hampers the work of defense systems. Their engines sound similar [to drones]," Oleg Kryuchkov, Aksyonov's advisor, said separately on Telegram on Tuesday. "The enemy is recruiting your children for nighttime rides."The ban in Crimea, a popular summer tourist destination for Russians, does not apply to cars or larger vehicles.Ukraine intensifies drone attacks on CrimeaUkraine has recently intensified drone attacks on Crimea, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, targeting the peninsula's supply routes and triggering a fuel crisis, as the holiday season starts.A pedestrian walks along a street past a billboard displaying a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Yalta, Crimea, February 12, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/ALEXEY PAVLISHAK)A limit of 20 liters (5.3 gallons) of fuel per car at local petrol stations would continue, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Crimea's biggest city, Sevastopol, said in a Telegram post late on Tuesday.On Tuesday, a Ukrainian drone strike halted operations at Moscow's oil refinery, sources said, adding to widespread damage inflicted on Russian energy facilities and extending the fuel crisis deeper into the country.Overnight, Russian defense systems downed 10 drones heading for Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram early on Wednesday.US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Russia should make peace with Ukraine after a "very good" meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in comments that sparked cautious optimism among G7 leaders that a peace deal could be struck.Follow us on Google