(KYIV) – Ukrainian drone operations have paralysed Russian maritime logistics in the Sea of Azov and severed Crimea’s energy supply, leaving occupied cities without power for a week, according to military updates and open-source intelligence.
Over six days from 6 to 11 July 2026, unmanned systems forces struck 76 Russian vessels, including 21 tankers, four tugboats, two cargo ships and one special purpose vessel overnight on 11 July alone. The Ukrainian military’s Unmanned Systems Forces, known as “Madyar’s Birds,” posted video compilations of each hit, numbering strikes sequentially.
The campaign has emptied the Sea of Azov of Russian shipping. Vessels have retreated into the Rostov-on-Don river canal and shallow bays near the shoreline, satellite imagery and maritime tracking data show. Ukrainian drones systematically targeted engine rooms and control rooms at the rear of ships, disabling vessels without breaching cargo holds. Analysts note this tactic avoids ecological damage while rendering ships economically unrepairable due to Western sanctions blocking specialised replacement parts.
Ukraine also struck tugboats sent to recover crippled vessels, compounding Russian logistical paralysis. A Russian military Telegram channel acknowledged the strikes, stating: “The number of these strikes is only increasing each time, and the range of drones used is expanding.”
On the Crimean Peninsula, residents reported being without electricity and water for seven consecutive days. Local social media channels carried pleas to occupation authorities, stating generator use had become impossible because fuel stocks were exhausted. Drone strikes on electrical substations across Crimea occur roughly twice weekly, gradually dismantling the peninsula’s power grid. Air defence systems previously protecting infrastructure have been largely eliminated, allowing drones to target smaller substations.
Fuel prices in Crimea surged to new records. Petrol reached 300 roubles (£2.78, $3.30, €3.13) per litre on 12 July, with some stations posting 450 roubles (£4.17, $4.95, €4.69) per litre. At Russian wage levels, analysts assess such prices render private transport unaffordable for most residents.
The severed Azov shipping routes affect military logistics for Russian-occupied southern Ukraine as well as civilian fuel supplies to Crimea. Footage released by the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed the operations.
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