Ukraine shifts maritime drone campaign to Russian tankers in Black Sea

Ukraine’s drone forces have launched the next phase of their maritime campaign by targeting Russian tankers in the Black Sea, their commander said on Wednesday.

Ukrainian drones struck 17 oil tankers, two gas tankers and one tugboat overnight into Wednesday, Robert Brovdi, commander of the country’s drone forces, wrote on Telegram.

Brovdi said Ukraine’s drone campaign had previously focused on the Sea of Azov, where a total of 116 Russian vessels had been attacked.

The next objective, he said, is to target vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet in the Black Sea, which Moscow uses to circumvent Western sanctions.

The Sea of Azov is connected to the Black Sea via the Kerch Strait.

Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russia’s full-scale invasion for more than four years, says the attacks help cut off fuel supplies to Russian occupation forces while also disrupting Moscow’s lucrative oil exports, making it harder for the Kremlin to finance the war.

Ukraine’s claims about its military operations could not be independently verified.