Ukrainian drones strike Russian shadow fleet tankers in Sea of Azov

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are escalating their operations against Russian energy infrastructure, triggering widespread fuel shortages across Russia and imposing an energy and logistics blockade on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. Recent attacks have targeted Moscow's "shadow fleet" tankers in the Sea of Azov and the port of Kerch.

Operation "MoLoChKa" Targets Russian Shadow Fleet

The Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) report having attacked a total of 116 Russian vessels between July 6 and July 14, 2026, as part of Operation "MoLoChKa" [Dairy Industry], which commenced on July 6.

In a statement on their social media account X, the USF detailed their latest strikes in the early hours of July 14, during which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) hit:

• Five tankers
• Five cargo ships
• One tugboat

All strikes occurred in the Sea of Azov.

Strategic Objectives

"Despite international sanctions, Russia continues to export oil via its shadow fleet, thereby financing its war against Ukraine," the USF stated. "The goal of the operation is the systematic disruption of the enemy's logistics chain."

The USF explained that disabling tankers, cargo ships, and auxiliary vessels:

• Complicates the export of oil and petroleum products
• Limits maritime transport capacity
• Reduces the enemy's ability to supply fuel to its forces and the occupation group on temporarily occupied Crimea

"In this way, the operators of the unmanned systems forces weaken one of the key elements of Russian military logistics and one of the sources of funding for its aggression," the statement added.

Focus on Feeder Tankers

In a Telegram post on July 14, USF Commander Major Robert 'Madyar' Brovdi explained how Operation "MoLoChKa" specifically targets Russia's smaller feeder tankers.

"Paralyzing the Russian feeder fleet (small and medium-sized shallow-draft shuttle tankers, 140 meters long with a carrying capacity of 7,000 tons each), which constitutes a significant component of the Russian shadow fleet, makes it practically impossible to export 'black gold' from Russian oil transshipment bases and loading terminals in ports via the Volga-Don Canal and the Sea of Azov onto large tankers," Major Brovdi said.

He noted that large tankers, due to their draft, cannot enter oil terminals or ports and are forced to load in the Black Sea from shuttle tankers, taking on cargo from 12 to 15 such vessels.

"Furthermore, the destruction of these worm-like camel tankers (and the tugboats that stubbornly tow them across the sea after being hit) hinders the delivery of scarce fuel to Crimea through the narrow bottleneck of the shallow waters of the Sea of Azov," Brovdi added. This makes road and rail tankers the primary—and highly dangerous—delivery method, "which is also under fire from the freedom-loving Ukrainian birds [i.e., Ukrainian combat drones], whether on asphalt or railway tracks."

Shadow Fleet Size

It is difficult to accurately determine the size of Russia's global shadow fleet, as the country uses shell companies, hidden ownership networks, and frequent flag changes to conceal its operations. However, shipping and defense experts estimate that between 1,000 and 1,600 vessels are involved.