OSINT: Overnight 10 July strikes targeted Russia's shadow fleet tankers, ports and Ilsky oil refinery – photos
OSINT analysts from CyberBoroshno have published an assessment of the strikes on Russian oil infrastructure carried out during the night of 9-10 July, saying they hit vessels from Russia's shadow fleet, ports and an oil refinery.
Source: CyberBoroshno
Details: According to their analysis, 12 vessels were struck on 10 July. The previous day, 9 July, 12 tankers, a cargo ship and a tugboat were reportedly hit. On 8 July, the strikes targeted five tankers and four cargo vessels; on 7 July, eight tankers and one cargo vessel; and on 6 July, two fuel tankers bound for Crimea.
After analysing satellite imagery, the analysts concluded that the shadow fleet vessels had been concentrated in two areas: north of the Crimean Bridge in the Sea of Azov, and south of the bridge in the Black Sea near the Port of Taman.
Based on changes visible in satellite imagery, the analysts said that as of 1 July, there were roughly 100 vessels both north and south of the Crimean Bridge. By 6 July, they counted around 40 vessels in the northern area and about 60 in the southern area. As of 8 July, there were around 20 vessels in the north and approximately 100 in the south. They also identified a fire aboard one vessel and heavy vessel traffic moving towards the Crimean Bridge.
"The vessels in the northern area are mostly river-class ships with relatively small tonnage. They head south, where their cargo is transferred to significantly larger vessels," the analysts said.
According to CyberBoroshno, on 10 July the strikes on tankers were complemented by attacks on two ports where such vessels are loaded directly – the Port of Taganrog and the Port of Azov.
The OSINT group said satellite imagery supported this assessment. The analysts also tracked vessels making direct voyages across the Black Sea to importing countries.
CyberBoroshno also said that, "based on the available photo and video evidence, fires can be confirmed in the areas of all five oil depots" in the port city of Azov in Russia's Rostov Oblast.
The analysts also examined the strike on the Ilsky oil refinery. They said that "the available materials were insufficient to determine the exact point of impact, but sufficient to identify the area where the fire occurred". According to their assessment, that area includes the refinery's largest AVT-6 crude oil distillation unit, which accounts for 56% of the refinery's total processing capacity.
Background:
- Earlier, Commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, said that 35 tankers, cargo vessels and specialised support vessels had been struck over a period of 96 hours.
- Separately, OSINT analyst ⟨Harbuz⟩ ("Pumpkin") analysed satellite images of the Omsk Refinery and reported that they showed at least three direct hits on pipe racks and columns of the refinery's ELOU-AVT-11 crude oil distillation unit.
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