A significant portion of Crimea has been plunged into darkness. A Ukrainian strike, likely targeting key power infrastructure, is the cause. The blackout stretches across the peninsula, from Sevastopol to Simferopol. Local officials are scrambling. The Kremlin is furious.
This is not a small event. This is a demonstration of reach. Ukraine is systematically dismantling Russia's ability to project power from Crimea. The message is clear: no part of the occupied peninsula is safe. For Moscow, this is a strategic humiliation.
Downing Street moved swiftly. A statement from the Prime Minister's spokesman: 'The UK reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine's right to defend itself.' The phrasing is deliberate. 'Unwavering' has been the keyword since February 2022. No caveats. No conditional clauses.
The Ministry of Defence is briefing quietly. Sources tell me the assessment is that this strike will complicate Russian logistics significantly. The Kerch Bridge, already a talking point, becomes even more critical. But that is a vulnerable artery.
This is about the game within the game. The UK wants to signal that it sees this war as existential for European security. The Foreign Office is already working the phones with allies. Expect a coordinated NATO statement by evening.
On the backbenches, there is unease. Not about Ukraine, but about the escalating rhetoric. Some MPs worry this could draw NATO closer to direct conflict. The whips are watching. But for now, the Prime Minister has the party behind him. The polling shows the public is solidly pro-Kyiv.
What comes next? The Ukrainians will press their advantage. The blackout is a tactical move, but its strategic purpose is to break Russian morale. And to remind the world that Crimea is not a frozen conflict. It is a battlefield.
The UK will continue to provide intelligence and long-range strike capabilities. That is the quiet part. No one says it aloud, but the Storm Shadow missiles are having an impact. This blackout is evidence of that.
For Starmer and the Opposition, there is only one play: full-throated support. Any wavering would be political suicide. The Liberal Democrats are piling in too. The consensus is bipartisan.
But here is the underlying tension. The Treasury is starting to sweat. The cost of this war is mounting. Defence spending will have to rise again. The Chancellor is looking for efficiencies elsewhere. That will cause headaches in the next budget.
For now, though, the story is the blackout. And the UK's blank cheque to Kyiv. The question is how long that cheque can be cashed before the bank of public opinion starts to murmur.
