Ukraine has launched a major drone offensive against Russia’s oil supply network, claiming strikes on nine shadow fleet tankers in the Sea of Azov as Kyiv targets the vessels helping Moscow bypass Western sanctions.
Ukrainian long-range drones hit nine Russian-linked tankers overnight on July 8, according to Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, known by the callsign “Madyar”.
The claimed operation came just a day after Ukraine announced strikes on eight similar vessels in the same area.
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Brovdi said Ukrainian forces had hit 21 vessels in 72 hours, including 19 shadow fleet tankers, a cargo ship and a ferry near Crimea’s Kerch Strait.
Ready to see the next shadow showdown?” he wrote on Telegram before announcing the latest strikes, adding: “Moscow will fall.
The claims have not been independently verified, and Russia had not commented at the time of publication.
The strikes are part of Ukraine’s growing campaign to damage the infrastructure supporting Russia’s war effort.
Moscow’s shadow fleet consists of ageing tankers operating through secretive ownership networks and foreign registrations, allowing Russia to continue exporting oil and petroleum products despite international sanctions.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted these vessels in an attempt to increase pressure on Russia’s energy revenues and disrupt the logistics behind its military machine.
The latest attacks follow Ukrainian drone strikes on oil facilities in occupied Crimea and transport links connecting the peninsula with Russia.
USF Operators Struck 9 Tankers of russia’s Shadow Fleet in the Sea of Azov Overnight
On the night of July 8, operators of the Kairos Battalion of the @414magyarbirds , the @Raid_413 , and the @1usc_army struck nine more tankers of russia’s shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov.
In… pic.twitter.com/kL8SsXwCcf
— 🇺🇦 Unmanned Systems Forces (@usf_army) July 8, 2026
Russian-installed authorities introduced fuel rationing measures in Crimea in late May after supply disruptions.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of occupied Crimea, claimed Russian air defences intercepted 27 Ukrainian drones overnight and into the morning, with no casualties reported.
Brovdi also claimed Ukrainian drones struck 53 Russian military targets across occupied Crimea and southern Ukraine overnight.
The reported attacks underline Ukraine’s expanding use of long-range drone warfare, with Kyiv increasingly targeting energy assets, shipping routes and military infrastructure far behind the front line.
The campaign is aimed at weakening Russia’s ability to finance and sustain its invasion as the war enters another phase of intensified strikes.
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