A new Ukrainian campaign is turning Vladimir Putin’s main supply line into a road of ruin.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The key highway linking southern Russia, occupied Crimea and other Ukrainian territories under the Kremlin’s control is at the center of a major drone offensive by Kyiv that is laying waste to Russian logistics and causing fuel stations to run dry.The 390-mile stretch, known as R-280 or “Novorossiya” (“New Russia”), is a crucial route for supplying Russian forces on the southern battlefields — as well as keeping the occupied territories supplied with fuel and food.But in recent weeks, the route has been snarled by Ukrainian attacks on vehicles carrying critical supplies, triggering a growing crisis on the tourism-dependent peninsula.Cars line up for fuel at a gas station in Saki, Crimea, earlier this month.Alexey Pavlishak / ReutersA fuel ‘lottery’ in CrimeaIt’s not clear if Kyiv’s plan for a “logistical lockdown” of Russian operations in this occupied Ukrainian territory could shift the overall dynamics of the four-year war, but it’s already turning into a public relations nightmare for the Kremlin as it faces growing domestic discontent.
Frustrated residents and tourists have been sharing videos of interminable lines at gas stations, while local authorities in Crimea have turned to rationing their limited supplies as they admit they are not able to meet the demand.One video geolocated by NBC News showed a line of cars stretching for hundreds of yards along a road on the peninsula, waiting for their turn at a gas station.Local Telegram chat groups seen by NBC News are filled with messages from residents desperately looking for gas.
A tutor from the Crimean port city of Sevastopol told NBC News she had abandoned any attempts to fuel up her car.“I don’t want to waste my time,” she said, adding that obtaining a government-issued voucher or Q...