Ukraine says it struck 12 Russian shadow fleet vessels in Black Sea and Sea of Azov
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Ukrainian long-range drones have hit 12 Russian shadow fleet vessels in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov over the past week, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces said on Aug. 8.
The strikes come after Ukraine launched Operation Molochka in July, a campaign targeting Russia’s shadow fleet in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in an effort to tighten the noose around Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula.
Since the start of the operation on July 6, Ukrainian drones have struck 218 Russian shadow fleet vessels, including 134 in the Sea of Azov and 84 in the Black Sea, according to the Unmanned Systems Forces.
The attacks that struck 12 Russian shadow fleet vessels in August were conducted by the Magyar's Birds Brigade, led by Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert Brovdi, K-2 Brigade, and Raid Regiment, according to the report.
The Kyiv Independent couldn't independently verify the claim. Moscow had not commented as of publication time. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Aug. 8 that it had downed 83 Ukrainian drones overnight, including over the Azov Sea.
"Molochka Operation continues," the Unmanned Systems Forces said in its Telegram post.
The report comes as Ukraine ramps up its long-range drone strikes on occupied Crimea and across the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to isolate the peninsula and disrupt key military routes.
"We will isolate Crimea in the near future," Brovdi, known by his callsign "Magyar," told Reuters in June.
Russia relies on a so-called shadow fleet, consisting largely of aging tankers sailing under flags of convenience, to export oil in circumvention of international sanctions, embargoes, and the G7-led price cap. The fleet enables the Kremlin to sustain oil revenues and continue financing its war against Ukraine.
Ukraine regularly strikes military infrastructure deep within Russia and the Russian-occupied territories in an effort to slowly diminish Moscow's ability to continue waging its war. The effect of the Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russia's military capability on the front is unclear.
