PARIS/WASHINGTON ¨C The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has taken an ominous new turn. So far it¡¯s Crimea that¡¯s paying the price, but Kiev could be next.
The Russian-held peninsula was plunged into darkness over the weekend as saboteurs in Ukraine cut off most of its electricity supply. A series of explosions in the south, starting on Thursday, knocked out transmission lines that supply 80 percent of Crimea¡¯s electricity. Most of the peninsula still has little or no power, and the Crimean government has declared a state of emergency, as Ukrainian protesters block utility crews from repairing the damage.
¡°It feels like you¡¯ve descended into the Stone Age,¡± Vladimir Garnachuk, a former Crimean government official, said by telephone from Sevastopol, where households are getting three to six hours of electricity a day.
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