Ukraine strikes 11 more Russian vessels in Sea of Azov overnight – video

Units from Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) struck 11 more Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov on the night of 13-14 July.

Source: Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, Commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces

Quote: "Plus 11 on the night of 13-14 July. A total of 116 vessels hunted down by the Birds of the USF in the Sea of Azov over nine days as part of Operation MoLoChKa: five tankers, five dry cargo vessels and one tugboat."

Details: Brovdi explained that the operation is aimed at paralysing Russia's feeder fleet – small and medium flat-bottomed tankers around 140 metres long with a deadweight of approximately 7,000 tonnes.

He said these vessels are an important part of Russia's shadow fleet and transport oil via the Volga-Don Canal and the Sea of Azov from ports and oil terminals to larger tankers in the Black Sea.

More details: Larger tankers cannot enter these ports due to their significant draught, so they are loaded with oil from the smaller feeder tankers while at anchor in the Black Sea. Brovdi noted that one such large tanker takes on board the volume of oil delivered by 12-15 feeder vessels.

Quote: "Burning out these worm-like camel-tankers – and the tugboats that stubbornly drag them across the sea after they've been hit – also limits the delivery of scarce petrol to Crimea through the narrow bottleneck of the shallow Sea of Azov, leaving road and rail tankers as the main – and very dangerous – method of delivery."

More details: Brovdi said that alternative road and rail supply routes are also under the fire control of Ukrainian forces.

Background: Brovdi reported earlier that his units struck 15 vessels from Russia's shadow fleet on the night of 12-13 July and a total of 105 vessels in the last eight days.

Subscribe on Patreon to back our journalism long-term.