That is why Ukraine is attacking ships in the Sea of Azov

Here's what it's all about

• For the past week, Russian ships in the Sea of Azov have been under constant attack by Ukrainian drones.
• Kyiv is thus cutting off supplies to the southern front of the Russian troops.
• Moscow's concerns about fuel supplies to Crimea are growing.

Summary created with

Overnight, Ukrainian drones once again attacked targets deep inside Russian territory. The attack on a refinery in Russian Volga region of Samara, 800 kilometers from the front lines. According to eyewitnesses, the facility itself caught fire—further fueling Russian concerns about fuel supplies. However, the General Staff in Kyiv later also reported attacks on ships in the Sea of Azov. According to the statement, ten oil tankers and four ferries were hit.

The head of Ukraine’s drone forces, Robert Browdy, posted videos on his Telegram channel from the thermal imaging cameras of the attacking drones, which give a sense of the damage. The footage shows the drones approaching the tankers and the operators steering them toward the bridge. The transmission cuts out upon impact. Other drones capture the explosions; there are usually several on a single ship.

Nearly 100 ships in one week

For the past week, Russian ships in the Sea of Azov have been under constant fire. The attacks began on the night of July 6. At that time, Ukrainian drones attacked two seagoing inland tankers that were supposed to deliver gasoline to Crimea. With a cargo capacity of about 7,000 metric tons, such ships are not particularly large. However, according to independent military analyst Jan Matvejew, the two tankers could have covered 20 percent of Crimea’s monthly gasoline consumption.

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According to Browdy’s tally, Ukrainian drone units have now attacked 90 ships in the Sea of Azov, some of them multiple times. These are often small inland tankers that, according to Browdy, belong to the Russian shadow fleet. Their task is to transport fuel to ports in the Sea of Azov or the Kerch Strait, or to transfer it to larger tankers. They are not equipped to handle the rough seas of the Black Sea, but the shallow Sea of Azov has not been a problem—until now.

Drifting Scrap Metal on the High Seas

That’s because the drones have quickly become a nightmare for sailors. Most of them are medium-range drones—likely in a stripped-down version, meaning they’re loaded with less explosives than possible in order to increase their range. The force of the explosion isn’t enough to sink the ship, but if the bridge is damaged, the ship is left uncontrollable. With additional attacks on Russian tugboats, Ukraine is ensuring that the Russians cannot tow the tankers into port.

Aus 2400 Kilometern Entfernung

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In doing so, Kyiv is exacerbating the problem of fuel supplies for the southern front of Russian troops. This is the next stage of a sophisticated tactic aimed at exploiting its superiority in drone technology to weaken the enemy on all fronts. In the first phase, Ukraine had systematically neutralized Russian air defenses in the occupied territories and in Crimea, which has been annexed since 2014.

The hinterland near the front lines becomes a death trap

Since the Russians had virtually no way to counter these drones, the Ukrainians systematically attacked their military facilities and fuel supplies. Long-range drones, such as the domestically produced Ljuty, have since repeatedly targeted large refineries in the hinterland. Medium-range drones with a range of up to 300 kilometers monitor the roads leading to the front lines and set fire not only to military vehicles but also to dozens of fuel tankers and smaller depots in Crimea, near Donetsk, and in Luhansk.

Kyiv is counting on cutting off Russian troops’ supply lines to halt their advance and eventually even force them to retreat. Crimea, the Russian military’s largest supply base in the south, has been feeling the effects of the fuel shortage for months. Even Russian military bloggers are complaining about growing supply problems. The situation is not yet critical for the occupying forces. However, by cutting off maritime traffic across the Sea of Azov, Ukraine is once again ramping up the pressure.