Power Outages Across Crimea

Power outages were reported in parts of Crimea late on March 23.

The regional power company blamed them on technical problems in a power line from the Ukrainian mainland to the Black Sea peninsula, which has been annexed by Moscow in a move rejected by Kyiv and the West.

Local residents said there was no electricity in several cities in Crimea, including parts of the regional capital of Simferopol.

Crimea's power provider Krymenergo said it introduced partial power cuts after a line operated by Ukraine's national electricity company, Ukrenergo, was hit by a technical fault and went down for repairs.

There's been no word from Ukrenegro on the matter.

A pro-Russian Crimean official, Rustam Temirgaliyev, accused Kyiv of reducing electricity to the peninsula to "blackmail" Moscow.

Most of Crimea's electricity - as well as water and food - is supplied from the Ukrainian mainland.

Based on reporting from Reuters and ITAR-TASS