Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) struck an additional 13 vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet in the Black and Azov Seas on July 18.
The targeted maritime assets included eight dry cargo vessels, one oil tanker, one gas carrier, one tugboat, and two floating cranes.
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According to a statement by USF Commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, this latest attack brings the total number of vessels hit during the ongoing campaign, designated Operation “Molochka,” to 172.
The operation has been active since July 6, resulting in strikes on 118 vessels in the Sea of Azov and 54 in the Black Sea over a 13-day period.
Objectives of operation ‘Molochka’
Commander Brovdi stated that the primary objective of the operation is to paralyze Russian maritime logistics utilized to transport oil, fuel, and other cargo in circumvention of international sanctions.
The USF aims to disable the self-propelled capabilities of the targeted vessels without causing environmental damage.
“The goal is the irreversible paralysis of oil, fuel, and cargo logistics used to bypass sanctions. We want every self-propelled vessel to become a drifting barge – blind and deaf. The objective is not to pollute the sea with oil spills, so we are not sinking them,” Brovdi reported.
The operation specifically targets Russia’s feeder fleet. These are flat-bottomed tankers, typically around 140 meters in length with a deadweight capacity of approximately 7,000 tons. These vessels transport oil through the Volga-Don Canal and the shallow waters of the Sea of Azov from Russian ports to larger deep-draft tankers waiting in the Black Sea.
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According to the USF, disabling these feeder vessels and the tugboats that tow them restricts the delivery of gasoline to the Crimean peninsula.
International responses
Kyiv has stated that Russia’s shadow fleet finances its military operations and therefore constitutes a legitimate military target.
In a communication to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba argued that the shadow fleet is essential to generating oil export revenues for Moscow.
He rejected Russian claims that the drone strikes constitute “terrorist” attacks on commercial shipping, countering that Russia has attacked 59 merchant vessels since the start of its full-scale invasion.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned the Ukrainian campaign during a press conference on July 14, characterizing the operations as “terrorism” designed to inflict damage and spread fear.
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