NATO Says Russia Is Struggling to Supply Crimea

Overview

• On Sunday, June 21, NATO and Ukrainian officials reported that Russia can’t effectively supply Crimea, citing growing fuel shortages and severely disrupted transport links.
• Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said no railway ferries are currently operating in occupied Crimea and that conventional ferries do not match the lost rail capacity.
• The Kerch bridge remains open for traffic but is structurally degraded from past strikes and its use is almost certainly restricted because of strike fears.
• A senior NATO official linked recent gains by Ukraine to the loss of Starlink for Russian forces, which the official said degraded Russian command and control and let Ukraine exploit air-defence gaps.
• Officials warn that, if interdiction continues, Russia will face few practical resupply options, forcing costly airlifts or limited ferry runs, disrupting civilian life, cutting tourist numbers and raising the chance of a deeper military and humanitarian crisis.