Ukrainian drones strike 13 Russian shadow fleet vessels overnight
Illustrative photo: Russia lost 13 shadow fleet vessels overnight (Getty Images)
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces struck 13 vessels belonging to Russia's shadow fleet overnight on July 10 as they approached occupied Crimea, according to the commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert "Madyar" Brovdi.
What was hit overnight
According to Madyar, the 13 vessels hit during the operation included 10 oil tankers, one cargo ship, one ferry, and one tugboat. He said all of the tankers had been identified as part of Russia's sanctioned shadow fleet.
The operation brings the total number of vessels struck over the past five days to 48.
"Forty-eight vessels have been hit by the Birds of the Unmanned Systems Forces in the past 120 hours. The fleet is systematically wasting away," Madyar wrote.
He also mocked Russia's continued use of the route, saying he could not decide whether sending another tanker to Crimea reflected courage or sheer stupidity.
Crimean switch off
Another part of the overnight operation was carried out under the project dubbed Crimean Switch Off, which targeted energy infrastructure in occupied Crimea.
According to Madyar, drones struck five electrical substations:
- 110 kV Beregovaya substation (Molochne);
- 110 kV Saky substation;
- 110 kV Moynaki substation (Yevpatoria);
- 110 kV Novoozernaya substation (Medvedeve);
- 35 kV Medvedevo substation (Medvedeve).
Russian losses in Crimea and on the front
During the night, Unmanned Systems Forces drones struck 41 military targets deep behind Russian lines in occupied Crimea and the southern occupied territories. In the tactical zone over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian drone operators eliminated another 426 Russian troops. Overall, the Unmanned Systems Forces destroyed 1,660 enemy targets during the day.
Ukraine's campaign against Russia's shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov began on July 7, when drones struck eight tankers, a cargo ship, and a ferry.
The following night, on July 8, Ukrainian drones hit another nine tankers. A partial blackout in occupied Crimea was caused by striking a key facility of the Kuban-Crimea power bridge, which supplies electricity to the peninsula from mainland Russia.
In total, during the first week of July alone, the Unmanned Systems Forces destroyed 37 energy facilities in occupied Crimea and southern Russian-occupied territories.
