'Moscow will fall' — Another 9 Russian shadow fleet tankers hit in Azov Sea, Ukraine's 'Madyar' says

Ukrainian long-range drones struck nine Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Sea of Azov overnight on July 8, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert Brovdi, known by the callsign "Madyar," said.

It comes just a day after he announced hitting eight similar vessels in the Sea of Azov.

According to Brovdi, over the past 72 hours Ukrainian forces hit 21 vessels, including 19 shadow fleet tankers, one cargo ship, and one ferry in Crimea's Kerch.

"Ready to see the next shadow showdown?" Brovdi wrote in a Telegram post on July 8 before announcing the results of the new attack. "Moscow will fall," he added.

On July 7 Brovdi said that eight shadow fleet tankers were hit and that "the battle for fuel for Crimea in the Sea of Azov continues."

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify Brovdi's claim. Moscow had not commented at the time of publication.

Following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting oil facilities in Crimea and the attacks on the land corridor connecting the occupied peninsula and Russia, which disrupted supplies, the Russian-installed authorities introduced fuel rationing measures in late May.

Russian-installed Crimea occupation head Sergey Aksyonov claimed on July 8 that Russian air defenses had repelled four Ukrainian attacks overnight and into the morning, saying 27 drones had been shot down. He added that no casualties were reported.

As part of the gradual efforts to grind down Russia's war machine from afar, Ukraine has targeted the Russian shadow fleet to intensify "pressure on sanctions-busting shippers and insurers at a time when Russian oil exports are already under strain," according to the London-based defense and security think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Russia relies on a vast shadow fleet of aging tankers operating under opaque ownership structures and flags of convenience to export oil and petroleum products despite Western sanctions.

The strikes come as Ukraine ramps up its long-range attacks across the Russian-occupied territories and inside Russia in recent weeks, inflicting a domestic fuel supply crisis on Russia.

Brovdi also reported that overnight on July 8 Ukrainian drones struck 53 Russian military targets in Russian-occupied Crimea and southern occupied Ukraine.

Electricity disruptions

Brovdi said that Ukrainian forces hit six electrical substations, bringing the total number of energy facilities targeted between July 1 and July 8 to 50.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) also reported on July 8 striking multiple Russian military targets in occupied Crimea and other occupied territories overnight.

According to the agency, the attacks targeted the Dzhankoi air base, the Port Krym infrastructure in Kerch, ammunition and fuel depots in Crimea.

A local resident of Dzhankoi complained on July 7 in a Telegram channel "Typical Dzhankoi" that the Dzhankoi area has been without electricity "for days on end."

"Dear Administration, I do, of course, realize that this isn’t entirely down to you. How long is this going to go on for?" the person wrote.

"Every day you post the same information. Word for word... Please give us a clear answer as to when the power will finally be back on?! People's appliances are breaking down, half the city is out of work. On top of that, mobile coverage is non-existent. Can't make a call, can't send a text, nothing. The roaming service you've set up is, excuse me, completely useless."

The person added that people were stuck at home and that "everything is closed." They described widespread power and water outages, saying the lack of basic utilities has made everyday tasks such as cooking and washing dishes much more difficult.

"I'm working remotely – how do you expect me to get to work? How are we supposed to make a living? Even if we bought a generator, where would we find petrol for it? It's some sort of never-ending cycle."

Ukraine's attacks on Russian infrastructure in Crimea have led to a crisis in fuel supplies, food shortages, and electricity disruptions.

Russian-installed authorities also announced a state of emergency on June 26.

In other Russian-occupied territories overnight on July 8, Russian logistics hub for drones and ammunition near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast was hit, as well as drone operators' bases and military warehouses in occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts, the SBU said.