Ukraine has widened its campaign against Russian-held Crimea by targeting fuel tankers and maritime supply routes in the Sea of Azov. The strikes threaten Moscow’s ability to keep the peninsula supplied, adding fresh pressure to Russia’s military logistics.
Ukraine has stepped up its campaign against Russian-controlled Crimea, launching a series of drone strikes on ships in the Sea of Azov in what Kyiv says is a broader effort to cut off fuel and military supplies reaching the peninsula.
The latest attacks follow weeks of strikes on roads, rail links and oil infrastructure connected to Crimea, signalling that Ukraine is now targeting both land and sea routes used by Russia.
Ukraine’s drone force commander, Robert Brovdi, better known by his call sign “Magyar”, said at least 25 ships had been hit and set ablaze over the past four days. Ukraine’s military later claimed that as many as 36 vessels had been struck, although independent verification of every attack has not been possible.
If confirmed, the operation would represent one of Ukraine’s biggest assaults on Russia’s maritime logistics since the war began.
The Sea of Azov has become a critical route for Russian fuel shipments into occupied Crimea. Oil tankers frequently gather near Kerch, where fuel is loaded before being transported across the peninsula.
Satellite images analysed after an earlier strike on Kerch port showed a noticeable drop in the number of tankers operating in the area, suggesting shipping activity had already slowed before this latest wave of attacks.
Videos shared on social media overnight showed flames engulfing several vessels as explosions lit up the coastline.
Russian officials acknowledged at least some of the attacks.
Rostov region governor Yuri Slyusar said two empty tankers were struck in Taganrog Bay on Wednesday and were still burning the following day.
According to Brovdi, two tankers targeted earlier in the week had each been transporting around 7,000 tonnes of fuel from the Taganrog region to Crimea.
Satellite imagery captured on Wednesday showed thick smoke rising from a vessel roughly 4km off the Crimean coast. Data from NASA indicates the fire may have been burning since 6 July, matching the timeline of Ukraine’s first reported attacks.
The same satellite image appeared to show around 20 other ships moving away from the area toward the Black Sea.
Ukraine also identified several vessels it says were damaged, including the tankers Venera-3, Sanar-1, Sanar-17, Klimena, Thetis, Alexey Savrasov and Penelopa.
A passenger ferry known as SKS One and a bulk cargo ship were also reportedly attacked inside Kerch port.
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The campaign has not been limited to the Sea of Azov.
Ukraine’s General Staff released footage showing a naval drone striking a sanctioned tanker known as Blue. The video showed the unmanned vessel manoeuvring through gunfire before heading directly toward the ship’s hull. Ukrainian officials said the strike happened near the Crimean resort city of Yalta, although the location has not been independently verified.
The maritime attacks come alongside continued strikes on Russian oil refineries and fuel depots deep inside Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has defended the campaign, arguing that Russian civilians should understand the consequences of Moscow’s invasion.
“Russians must feel that it is their state that is waging war,” Zelensky said while defending attacks on oil infrastructure.
Ukraine also reported fresh strikes on oil storage facilities in the Tver and Stavropol regions, as well as an oil terminal in Russia’s Rostov region believed to be the Yug Rusi facility.
During a meeting with Zelensky at the Nato summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump described Ukraine’s expanding drone campaign as an escalation.
“It’s also an escalation that can help lead to an end,” Trump said.
Military analysts believe the greatest impact may now be on Russia’s fuel supply network rather than its naval strength alone.
Russian military bloggers have openly criticised the lack of protection for fuel tankers.
The pro-war Telegram channel Military Informant described the vessels as travelling without meaningful protection, calling them easy targets for Ukrainian drone operators.
Another prominent military blogger, Mikhail Zvinchuk, who runs the Rybar channel, argued that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has effectively withdrawn to the port of Novorossiysk and is no longer capable of properly defending shipping routes.
The attacks come as Russia faces mounting fuel problems.
Authorities have introduced fuel rationing or shortages across most Russian regions, while diesel exports have been suspended. Long queues have also been reported at petrol stations in cities including Moscow and St Petersburg.
Crimea itself has experienced repeated disruptions to electricity supplies and transport services in recent weeks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged in late June that Crimea requires around 70,000 tonnes of fuel every month and pledged to increase deliveries by both land and sea.
The tankers reportedly targeted this week may have been carrying significantly more than that amount.
With Ukraine continuing to strike roads, railways, oil depots and now shipping lanes, analysts say Kyiv is attempting to tighten what it calls a “logistics lockdown” around occupied Crimea, making it increasingly difficult for Russia to sustain military operations on the peninsula.
