Ukraine's drone commander says Kerch Strait ferry capacity reduced by 75%
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Ukraine has reduced ferry capacity in the Kerch Strait by 75% following a series of drone strikes targeting vessels operating between occupied Crimea and Russia, the commander of Ukraine's drone forces said on July 19.
Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said the operation, dubbed "MoLoCHKa," was carried out over the course of two weeks and significantly disrupted ferry traffic across the strait.
Operation "MoLoCHKa," an acronym that translates from Ukrainian as "Moscow will fall because of Crimea," has been underway since July 6 and is aimed at destroying Russia's shadow fleet.
At the same time, Ukrainian forces are also conducting a campaign known as the "logistical lockdown," aimed at disrupting Russian military supply routes in occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea.
According to Brovdi, ferry service between Russia's Port Kavkaz and occupied Crimea had been provided by four ferries: Lavrentiy, Panagia, Eisk, and Maria. Another vessel, SKS One, was kept in reserve.
Brovdi said the ferries Eisk, Maria, and SKS One had been destroyed or damaged beyond repair and would not return to service.
He added that the remaining ferries, Lavrentiy and Panagia, had lost the ability to operate under their own power and are now being used as barges towed by tugboats, significantly reducing their transport capacity.
Before the operation, the four ferries were capable of carrying between 180 and 250 units of transport per day, Brovdi said. He added that about 80% of the ferry traffic supported the Russian military.
The Kerch Strait is a critical logistical route linking Russia to occupied Crimea, which Moscow has relied on to transport military personnel, equipment, and supplies since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian military infrastructure in and around the peninsula in an effort to disrupt Russian logistics.
