The Russian occupation authorities explained the ban on gasoline sales in Crimea, imposed on June 21, as necessary to ensure the continued operation of government agencies. However, there is no gasoline there either. Our correspondents have investigated the current state of affairs in the peninsula’s key sectors.

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Mail

Crimean Post contacted print media outlets and warned that there would be no newspaper deliveries this week. The postal monopoly has not received even the minimum amount of fuel. No one can predict at this time when customers will receive their mail.

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Construction

Throughout the 12 years of occupation, the Russians have tried to impress Crimea with the construction of major roads and interchanges. On Monday, construction workers on the Alushta-Yalta highway were sent home without warning and for an indefinite period. Major construction projects have now been put on hold.

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Banks

Depending on the bank, cash withdrawal limits at ATMs ranged from 100,000 to 300,000 rubles. Now they have been reduced by a factor of ten to between 5,000 and 10,000 rubles. Banks are unable to restock ATMs with cash. Cash-in-transit vehicles were not included in Aksyonov’s list of “state needs.” Against the backdrop of Zyuganov’s proposal to divert 67 billion rubles from private deposits to fund the war effort, people are trying to withdraw money from their accounts. However, with the current limits in place, only meager amounts can be withdrawn in cash in Crimea.

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Business

Private business on the peninsula is practically in a coma. Hotels and restaurants are closing en masse and laying off staff. Most are empty, and residents have no way of saving an industry that relies on 4–5 million tourists. It’s cheaper to do nothing than to pay salaries and cover operating expenses when there isn’t even enough revenue to cover taxes.

Even before the occupation, Crimea specialized in the manufacture of plastic windows. Hundreds of small manufacturers were involved in this industry. Supplies of window profiles began to falter as early as the end of May. Manufacturers’ inventories have run out, and there are no new shipments from Russia—nor will there be any in the foreseeable future.

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Electricity

At the moment, only the capital, Aqmescit(Simferopol), has a continuous power supply. Since Monday, rural areas have switched to rolling blackouts on a "three-on, three-off" schedule (power is on for three hours, then off for three hours).