UNIPA News | KYIV| 17 JULY-Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said they targeted 11 vessels linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov on Thursday as part of an ongoing campaign to disrupt Russian military and commercial logistics.
According to Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, the targets included five oil tankers, one gas tanker, three dry cargo ships, and two tugboats. He said the strikes were carried out under an operation codenamed “MoLoChKa.”
Brovdi stated that between July 6 and July 16, Ukrainian forces targeted a total of 147 Russian vessels, including 117 in the Sea of Azov and 30 in the Black Sea.
He said the operation is designed to disrupt Russia’s oil, fuel, and cargo transportation networks that Kyiv alleges are being used to circumvent international sanctions and support military logistics.
According to Brovdi, Ukrainian forces focused on disabling the vessels’ navigation and communications systems rather than breaching their hulls, with the objective of preventing environmental damage such as oil spills while reducing the ships’ operational capability.
The reported attacks mark an expansion of Ukraine’s maritime drone operations beyond the Sea of Azov into deeper areas of the Black Sea. Ukrainian officials say the broader campaign aims to isolate Russian-occupied Crimea, disrupt military supply routes, and weaken Russia’s logistical and economic support networks.
The claims have not been independently verified, and there has been no immediate official response from Russia regarding the reported operation.