Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) said it struck 15 vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet overnight, raising the total number of ships hit over the past eight days to 105.
USF Commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi said the operation targeted Russia’s maritime logistics and vowed that the campaign would continue.
Brovdi disclosed this in a post on Telegram on Monday, stating that Operation MoLoChKa (Dairy) would continue until Russia’s shadow fleet was effectively neutralised.
“Fifteen vessels overnight, 105 vessels in eight days were taken out by USF Birds. Operation MoLoChKa [Dairy] will continue until the Russian shadow fleet is listed in the Red Book of the Sea of Azov,” he wrote.
According to Brovdi, the latest operation targeted seven oil tankers, five dry cargo ships, one ferry and two tugboats believed to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet.
“In total, 105 vessels were effectively hit between July 6 and July 13. The Crimea peninsula’s transshipment infrastructure is being struck every night, traffic through the Kerch Strait has been halted, and unloading operations have been reduced to a minimum,” he added.
Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed the strikes in its daily operational update, saying the targeted vessels were being used to support Russia’s military operations and circumvent international sanctions.
According to the military, the tankers transported Russian crude oil and petroleum products, while the ferry was used for military logistics and cargo movement. The dry cargo ships and tugboats were also involved in transporting military equipment, supplies and other materiel.
Brovdi also provided an update on the “Crimean Switch-Off” operation, carried out between Sunday and Monday, saying Ukrainian forces struck nine power substations across occupied Crimea and other Russian-held territories.
He said the operation also targeted the strategic Kuban-Crimea energy bridge transfer station, which links occupied Crimea to Russia, marking the second strike on the facility within 48 hours.
The commander further claimed Ukrainian forces destroyed four Russian air defence assets, including an S-400 Triumf missile launcher, a Tor air defence system and two radar complexes.
Ukraine’s General Staff separately reported the destruction of a Nebo-U radar system in occupied Crimea and an S-400 missile launcher near Kerch.
Ukraine has defended its attacks on Russia’s shadow fleet, arguing that vessels transporting Russian oil help finance Moscow’s war effort and therefore constitute legitimate military targets.
In a letter to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Oleksiy Kuleba, rejected Russian allegations that Kyiv was carrying out terrorist attacks against commercial shipping.
Kuleba argued that the shadow fleet plays a crucial role in sustaining Russia’s war by generating revenue from oil exports. He also accused Moscow of attacking 59 merchant vessels since launching its full-scale invasion, alleging repeated violations of international humanitarian law and maritime safety regulations.
His remarks come as European countries intensify efforts to clamp down on Russia’s shadow fleet, which is estimated to comprise more than 1,500 tankers used to evade Western sanctions.