Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) struck eight tankers transporting fuel to Russian-occupied Crimea overnight on July 7, according to USF Commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi.
“The shadow fleet is leaving the chat. Overnight, pilots of the ‘Kairos’ unit from the 414th Separate Brigade ‘Madyar’s Birds’ struck eight tankers from Russia’s shadow fleet. The battle for fuel supplies to Crimea in the Sea of Azov continues,” Brovdi wrote.
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According to him, Ukrainian drones struck eight fuel tankers, one dry cargo ship and one ferry.
Brovdi said all of the targeted tankers are under international sanctions. The vessels have a deadweight of approximately 7,000 tons, are about 140 meters (460 feet) long, and were built between 2006 and 2012.
Among the identified vessels are:
- Venus-3;
- Sanar-1;
- Sanar-17;
- Klymena;
- Teti;
- Alexei Savrasov;
- Penelope.
In a later Telegram update, Brovdi identified the eighth tanker struck overnight as MS Ivan Cheremisinov.
According to Brovdi, Ukrainian forces also struck 58 military targets overnight in the operational rear of Russian forces in the occupied territories.
He added that the operation also targeted Crimea’s energy infrastructure, including electricity supply facilities and logistics hubs. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
“We will stand. Moscow will fall. We will feed and rebuild Crimea,” Brovdi said.
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Later, he also reported that, as of 4 p.m., USF drones had hit two additional tankers in the Sea of Azov.
“USF Birds have just hit two more tankers in the Sea of Azov. That’s tankers No. 9 and No. 10 for today, and 12 vessels in total. But the full report will come tomorrow - it’s going to be a long night for the worms,” Brovdi wrote, using his derogatory nickname for Russian forces.
Ukraine has defended its strikes on Russia’s shadow fleet, arguing that tankers transporting Russian oil and gas directly finance Moscow’s war effort and may therefore constitute legitimate military targets.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba made the case in a letter to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) after Russia accused Kyiv of carrying out “terrorist” attacks against commercial shipping, as per the Financial Times,
“Legitimate questions arise as to whether the activities of such vessels can be regarded solely as ordinary commercial operations,” Kuleba wrote.
He argued that the shadow fleet is “critical to the generation of budget revenues for the Russian Federation and the continuation of its war effort.”
Ukraine has reportedly struck around a dozen sanctioned shadow fleet vessels. Russia has accused Kyiv of attacking the Russian-flagged tanker Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean in March, an allegation Ukraine rejects.
Instead, Kuleba said Russia has attacked 59 merchant vessels since the start of the full-scale invasion, including the Turkish cargo ship MV Victress and the German-owned Helga, calling the incidents further evidence of Moscow’s disregard for international humanitarian law and maritime safety.
The letter comes as European countries intensify efforts against Russia’s shadow fleet. The UK and France have recently intercepted suspected vessels, while EU states are pushing countries such as Panama, Barbados, and Cameroon to remove shadow fleet tankers from their registries, making them easier to inspect or detain.
Industry estimates suggest Russia’s shadow fleet has grown to more than 1,500 tankers, allowing Moscow to continue exporting oil despite Western sanctions.
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