Ukraine said its drone forces struck additional Russian fuel tankers supplying occupied Crimea overnight, extending a campaign that is increasingly targeting Russia’s military fuel supply chain from refineries to maritime transport.
Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said pilots from the “Kairos” unit of the 414th Separate Brigade “Madyar’s Birds” hit nine more tankers in the Sea of Azov on the night of 8 July. If confirmed, that would bring the reported three-day total to 21 vessels struck, including 19 tankers that Ukraine says are part of Russia’s sanctioned shadow fleet. Reuters could not independently verify the claims or assess the extent of the damage.
Several of the vessels named by Brovdi are listed under U.S., UK and EU sanctions. Maritime tracking data showed some operating near the Don River and Sea of Azov, though inconsistent Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals made their movements difficult to verify.
Russian authorities acknowledged drone attacks in Taganrog Bay overnight. Rostov Oblast Governor Yury Slyusar said two tankers bound for the port of Rostov-on-Don were damaged, causing fires aboard both vessels and injuring two crew members. He said the ships were empty and no fuel was spilled.
The reported maritime strikes follow Ukraine’s long-range drone attack on the Omsk oil refinery earlier this week, suggesting Kyiv is widening its campaign beyond refining capacity to the transport network supplying occupied Crimea. Whether the combined pressure significantly disrupts Russian military fuel logistics remains unclear.
