Ukrainian drones struck 13 Russian “shadow fleet” vessels in the Black and Azov seas over a 48-hour period, according to Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) Commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi.
Brovdi said that from Tuesday to Wednesday, Ukrainian forces targeted vessels involved in supporting Russia’s military operations and logistics in occupied Ukrainian waters.
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According to the USF commander, the strikes hit 10 dry cargo ships, 2 tugboats, and 1 tanker.
The attacks were carried out as part of Operation “MoLoChKa” [Dairy]. Since July 6, the campaign has targeted 196 Russian vessels, including 126 in the Sea of Azov and 70 in the Black Sea, Brovdi said.
At the same time, Ukrainian forces continue Operation “Crimean Switch Off,” a campaign aimed at disrupting Russia‘s energy infrastructure in occupied territories.
According to Brovdi, Ukrainian drones struck 13 energy facilities and substations, including 11 in occupied Crimea and two in other Russian-occupied territories. Since the operation began on July 1, Ukrainian forces have hit a total of 117 energy targets, he added.
Black Sea strikes
Ukraine and Russia have sharply escalated attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea, effectively ending an informal understanding that technically neutral commercial vessels would not be systematically targeted.
Over the past days, Ukrainian long-range drones struck three tankers at Russia’s Caspian Pipeline Consortium (KTK) oil terminal near Novorossiysk.
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The latest attack damaged the sanctioned tanker Nelsa while it was loading Kazakhstan-produced crude, sparking a fire and forcing the evacuation of most of its crew.
The previous day, drones also hit the tankers Asia and Nissos Ios at the same terminal. Kazakhstan condemned the strikes, calling them attacks on neutral shipping carrying Kazakh oil.
Russia, meanwhile, launched what has become its deadliest attack on civilian shipping of the war.
On Sunday, three Kh-59/Kh-69 cruise missiles struck the Turkish-owned, Guinea-Bissau-flagged bulk carrier Golden Leo, as it departed the port of Odesa carrying grain. The strike killed 10 crew members and left the vessel heavily damaged, according to Ukrainian authorities and maritime reports.
The attacks mark a significant escalation in the maritime conflict. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russia’s oil-export infrastructure and commercial shipping linked to Moscow’s logistics, including its so-called shadow fleet.
Brovdi has said drone operators deliberately aim at bridges and engine rooms to disable vessels while minimizing the risk of oil spills.
Since early July, Ukraine has expanded its naval drone campaign across the Black and Azov Seas, targeting dozens of Russian vessels and recently extending operations to Russia’s Krasnodar coast.
At the same time, Russia has intensified missile and drone strikes against merchant ships entering and leaving Ukrainian ports, raising concerns over the safety of Black Sea shipping and global grain exports.
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