Russia weakens drone operations on battlefield to protect shadow fleet

Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, has said that Russia is redeploying up to 200 Rubikon drone centre crews from the battlefield to protect vessels in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Source: Brovdi on Facebook

Quote from Brovdi: "The enemy is pulling up to 200 Rubikon crews from the line of contact to protect the shadow fleet. One crew per operational vessel."

Details: According to Brovdi, in addition to Rubikon units, forces from Russia's 51st Air Defence Division and an anti-aircraft regiment of the Black Sea Fleet have been deployed to protect the vessels. They are using anti-aircraft drones, man-portable air defence systems and machine guns.

Brovdi claims that from 6 to 18 July, as part of Operation MoLoCHKa, Ukrainian drones struck 172 Russian vessels – 118 in the Sea of Azov and 54 in the Black Sea.

On the night of 17-18 July alone, he said, 13 vessels were hit: eight dry cargo ships, a tanker, a gas carrier, a tugboat and two floating cranes.

Brovdi noted that the aim of the operation is to halt the transport of oil, fuel and other cargo in vessels that are circumventing sanctions. There is currently no independent confirmation of the reported number of vessels hit.

Background: In the early hours of 18 July, Moscow and Moscow Oblast came under a large-scale drone attack. Fires broke out at an oil depot in Noginsk and at a Wildberries logistics centre in Elektrostal, while Russian authorities reported dozens of casualties.

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