A Russian air-defence drill or a Ukrainian drone attack? Local Georgy shrugged. "We're already used to it, really ... nothing scares us anymore," he told AFP.Ukraine has heavily targeted the Black Sea territory -- a popular summer retreat despite the four-and-a-half-year war -- escalating a campaign of strikes on fuel and electrical facilities over recent months.But like Georgy, who works in the tourism sector, many in Crimea are simply carrying on."Here we are sitting, drinking a coffee. Even if there are some sounds, it's most likely just a drill," he said, refusing to give his surname.Along the seafront, elderly women waded in the water, a kid splashed his brother, and toned men worked out.At a skatepark, teenagers strung tricks together near one of the city's many bomb shelters.
Blackouts and fuel shortages are part of daily life for Crimea's 2.4 million people © Igor IVANKO / AFP
A check of the Sevastopol governor's Telegram channel showed no air alert this time.But warnings have become more frequent since Ukraine started ramping up attacks in June.Civilians have been killed and wounded in the attacks. Two were killed overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, Crimea's governor Sergei Aksyonov said.Blackouts and fuel shortages are part of daily life for Crimea's 2.4 million people and the Crimenergo electricity distributor announces daily power outages on its website.Authorities have already introduced a local state of emergency and halted petrol sales.'Catastrophe'Seaside resorts, businesses and hotels that can afford them are equipped with generators."Yes, you can hear the generator," Oksana, who runs a grocery store in Yalta, explained over the hum."I have no choice... otherwise the sorbets will melt. This year is just a catastrophe," she added.
