Putin Allies Face Crisis As They Run Out of Water

The water supply for the Crimean city of Sevastopol will be shut off on Tuesday and Wednesday due to significant pollution in the area, according to the city's Russian-appointed authorities.

Sevastopol Gov. Mikhail Razvozhayev said in a post to his Telegram channel on Monday that the city's water supply has been contaminated due to heavy snowfall in recent days. After the snow melted, a "sharp influx of dirty water" was carried into the Chorna River, Razvozhayev explained, contaminating the city's drinking water and causing local officials to need to shut down water treatment facilities to clean their systems.

"Due to the rise of rivers and mudflows, the level of water turbidity has sharply increased," Razvozhayev wrote in his post, adding that the water has become "almost 60 times dirtier" due to the snowfall. Water will be shut off between 11 a.m. Moscow Standard Time (MSK) (3 a.m. ET) Tuesday until 8 p.m. MSK Wednesday.

"This forced shutdown of the system, necessary for the accumulation and sanitary purification of water, will allow us to provide water as normal on the evening of January 24th," Razvozhayev wrote. "If we continue to supply water periodically, the process may drag on for a week or more. I ask everyone to treat the situation with understanding."

The Kremlin-appointed governor also shared photos and videos of residents retrieving clean water from trucks on Tuesday. Razvozhayev said that trucks are stationed around the city for residents to obtain supplies during the shutoff period.

Newsweek has reached out to the Kremlin's press office via email for more information.

Sevastopol residents have had their fair share of interruptions to daily life in recent months as Ukraine ramps up its attacks on the Crimea Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. The port city in southern Crimea is home to Russian President Vladimir Putin's Black Sea Fleet, a top target for Kyiv, which is seeking to dismantle Moscow's military infrastructure stationed on the peninsula.

Local news outlets reported several explosions in Sevastopol in the early afternoon on Sunday, according to the Kyiv Independent. At the time, Razvozhayev reported that an airborne target had been intercepted by Russian troops nearby. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported shooting down two Ukrainian missiles over the western coast of Crimea later in the day.

While Kyiv did not take responsibility for the apparent attack, drone strikes were also reported in several other Russian cities at the same time, including one that struck a fuel plant near St. Petersburg.

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