Olesya, a resident of the Russian-annexed port city of Sevastopol, Crimea, has resorted to desperate measures to fill up her car’s gas tank. Recently, she and a group of friends spent hours trying to obtain a QR code that would allow her to buy just 20 liters (5.3 gallons) of gasoline.
“There were 10 of us sitting there, hoping one of us would get a code,” Olesya told The Moscow Times, withholding her last name for safety reasons.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on supply routes and energy infrastructure serving Crimea in recent weeks in what it says is an effort to isolate the annexed peninsula and disrupt military supply lines for Russia’s full-scale invasion.
For people in Crimea, the campaign is transforming daily life. Residents who spoke to The Moscow Times said fuel has become scarce, rolling blackouts and water shortages are now routine and even everyday tasks like commuting to work or buying groceries have become increasingly challenging.
Authorities in Sevastopol have repeatedly tightened fuel restrictions over the past month, initially limiting sales to cash purchases, then to prepaid fuel cards and vouchers.
