Moscow officials in annexed Crimea have announced that they are banning the use of mopeds, motorcycles and quads at night because they sound like drones, Reuters reports.
Moscow-appointed governor of the peninsula, Sergei Aksyonov, said the ban (which he called a temporary measure to protect military facilities and other important sites) would be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting on the 16th of June. Aksyonov’s adviser, Oleg Kryuchkov, said on the Telegram on the 16th of June that the noise from mopeds was disrupting defense systems because their engines sounded like drones. “The enemy is recruiting our children for nighttime rides,” Kryuchkov added.
The ban does not apply to cars or larger vehicles. Despite the hostilities, Crimea remains a popular summer vacation destination for Russians.
Ukraine has recently intensified its attacks on Crimea,
home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, and has successfully cut off the peninsula’s supply routes as the holiday season begins, causing a fuel crisis.
Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev announced on the evening of the 16th of June that fuel purchase restrictions will remain in place, with individuals limited to 20 liters per day.
Ukrainian drone strikes on the 16th of june have forced the closure of a Moscow oil refinery, adding to the already extensive damage to Russia’s energy infrastructure and deepening the fuel crisis.
Read also: Fuel sales to private individuals suspended in Russian-occupied Sevastopol