Kremlin-backed authorities in annexed Crimea declared a state of emergency on Friday afternoon following days of intense Ukrainian attacks that have knocked out power in parts of the peninsula and compounded ongoing challenges for residents, including fuel shortages and restrictions on public transit. “This state of emergency will remain in effect until the situation improves,” Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said in a Telegram video address announcing a citywide state of emergency.

Sevastopol was under drone attack, he said earlier on Wednesday, and the nearby Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region were also partially or fully cut off from power,…

Energy shortages have continued to plague Sevastopol, the largest city in Russian-controlled Crimea, following repeated, intensified Ukrainian strikes on the peninsula.