Annexed Crimea Declares Regional Wildfire Emergency

Aug. 25, 2026 A wildfire in annexed Crimea near the city of Yalta. VK Authorities in annexed Crimea declared a regional state of emergency on Tuesday as a wildfire that began last week following a Ukrainian drone attack continued to grow in size. The blaze broke out last Wednesday in a forest nature reserve near the resort city of Yalta and expanded from just over 3 hectares (8 acres) to 50 hectares (124 acres) in the span of three days. Emergency officials have not officially confirmed the cause of the fire, but reports citing NASA satellite imagery said it started on the night of a Ukrainian drone attack on Yalta. The Interfax news agency reported that Sergei Aksyonov, the Kremlin-installed head of Crimea, declared the wildfire a cause for a “regional natural emergency.” The emergency zone boundaries have been set within the Yalta Mountain-Forest Nature Reserve. Police were advised to block roads leading into the nature reserve to keep people out of danger. Emergency authorities said fire engines are unable to reach the fire’s epicenter due to cliffs and rocky terrain, while strong winds and hot weather are causing the flames to spread rapidly. Crimea’s regional government said a “severe fire risk” remained in effect across the eastern and southern parts of the peninsula through Thursday. Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, previously declared a state of emergency in late June after Ukrainian attacks knocked out major power stations and damaged the regional energy grid. Read more about: Crimea , Wildfires Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Russian Warships Leave Annexed Crimea Amid Growing Missile Threats – Reports Satellite images show that a number of Black Sea Fleet ships are now moored in the port of Novorossiysk in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region. 2 Min read Ukraine Says Hit Air Defense System in Russia There was no mention of the attack in official reports from Russia, which said its air defenses had destroyed over 30 Ukrainian drones. 2 Min read Russia Detains Man Accused of Plotting Crimea Bombing The FSB said the man had been acting on the "instructions of Ukrainian military intelligence" and had been remanded in custody. 1 Min read Russian Government to Allocate $1.5 Bln to Highway in Crimea The Russian government has decided to allocate 100 billion rubles ($1.5 billion) to building a highway connecting the capital of Crimea, Simferopol, to...