In a new blow to the Kremlin's narrative that Moscow is winning the 4-year-old war in Ukraine, Kyiv's forces have targeted fuel supplies to the Crimean Peninsula. That has triggered the worst fuel crisis on the Black Sea peninsula since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. The persistent attacks reflect Ukraine's growing ability to carry out drone strikes and have caught Russia off guard and struggling for a response. The gas shortages are threatening to cause further disruptions to the tourism-dependent region, just as the summer holiday season is getting underway. Ukraine's successes have highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and change the course of the war.
A Russian rocket attack targeted the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, killing at least four people and wounding 25. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced Tuesday's assault, saying it underscored that Moscow has no intentions of halting the 3-year-old war. The attack came a day after direct peace talks in Istanbul made no progress on ending the fighting. Local authorities said the barrage of rockets struck apartment buildings and a medical facility in the center of Sumy. Meanwhile, Ukraine's secret services said they struck inside Russia again, two days after a spectacular Ukrainian drone attack on air bases deep inside the country.
