Ukraine has fully discontinued the supply of electricity to Crimea without warning, Crimean Fuel and Energy Minister Sergei Yegorov said.

"Ukraine fully discontinued the supply of electrical power to Crimea at 11:10 a.m. without warning," Yegorov said.

Central Simferopol is currently fully without power, even traffic lights are not working. There are problems with mobile communications and people cannot make calls.

"Immediately after discontinuing power supply, Ukraine told us Crimea had allegedly exceeded the supply capabilities that Ukraine had in a situation of reduced generation [by Ukraine]," Yegorov said.

Yegorov also said Crimea is now rapidly launching mobile gas-turbine electric power stations and diesel generators, which had been switched off after the morning power consumption maximum.

"The situation is now difficult because we have switched off the equipment and it will take some time to switch it back on," Yegorov said.

Yegorov also said the Crimean Fuel and Energy Ministry and the Russian Energy Ministry are now negotiating a resumption of power supply to Crimea with the Ukrainian Energy Ministry.

"If it can't be done, we will use rolling power cuts," the minister said.