Blackout in Crimea after power lines attacked

THE Russian annexed peninsula of Crimea was under a complete blackout on Sunday morning after its main electricity power lines from Ukraine were blown up.

“Crimea is completely cut off,” Viktor Plakida, the director of Crimea Energy, told Russian press.

The four lines that supply Crimea with power from Ukraine were attacked first, and then explosions took out two lines entirely and damaged another other two. Early on Sunday a new explosion left Crimea entirely without power.

Crimea was annexed by Russia last year, but its power supply is still provided by Ukrainian authorities.

The Crimean Emergencies Ministry has declared a state of emergency and rescue teams in the area are on high alert.

It was not yet clear who is responsible for the attacks. One Russian senator called it an “act of terrorism” and suggested that Ukrainian nationalists could have been behind the explosions.