Ukraine drone raids cripple Russia's shadow fleet in Sea of Azov

Ukrainian forces have launched large‑scale drone attacks on Russian vessels operating in the Sea of Azov, targeting what Kyiv calls the "shadow fleet" that transports oil and evades sanctions. Reports from Ukrainian officials cite strikes on 21 to 28 Russian ships in a single night, including 21 oil tankers, several cargo vessels, tugs and a dredger. Over the past week, Ukraine says a total of 105 Russian vessels have been hit, with more than 70 attacks recorded between 6 July and 11 July.

The raids have forced Russia to suspend commercial shipping through the Kerch Strait and the Don‑Azov Canal, bottling grain exports and disrupting logistical routes to Crimea. Russian authorities responded with a coordinated air‑defence effort, claiming to have downed dozens of incoming UAVs, and launched their own strikes on Ukrainian ports and Kyiv, wounding 11 people in the capital.

Both sides present the operations as strategic blows: Kyiv argues the attacks weaken Russia’s ability to finance the war and sustain its forces in Crimea, while Moscow warns of heightened threats to its maritime supply lines and continues to target Ukrainian infrastructure with missiles and UAVs.