Ukrainian drone forces have struck eight tankers belonging to Russia’s "shadow fleet" in the Sea of Azov, Kyiv’s military announced on Tuesday. The overnight operation is part of an intensifying campaign to isolate the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula by cutting off critical military supply lines.
According to a military statement on Telegram, the targeted vessels were under international sanctions, each with a deadweight capacity of approximately 7,000 tons. This strike follows a similar operation the previous day, where Ukrainian forces reported hitting two other shadow-fleet ships in the same region.
The drone forces released black-and-white aerial footage showing the vessels being targeted and bursting into flames. "Striking the enemy's naval logistics complicates the supply of fuel and ammunition necessary to support the activities of Russian troops, primarily in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea," the military statement noted. Reuters has not independently verified the claims.
Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 prior to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, serves as a vital logistics hub for Moscow's war effort. Recent Ukrainian strikes on energy and logistics infrastructure have reportedly led to severe fuel shortages and a local state of emergency on the peninsula.
Kyiv has repeatedly urged international allies to strictly enforce sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet, which bypasses trade restrictions to transport Russian oil. Ukraine has previously deployed sea drones to disable oil tankers in the Black Sea to choke off Moscow’s energy revenues.
