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Ukrainian drones struck again in the Azov Sea
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces conducted another series of strikes on Russian ships in the Azov Sea. 13 units were to be attacked on the night of July 9 on July 10, including ten tankers. According to the Ukrainian balance sheet, a total of 48 hits were recorded in five days.
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Another 13 ships attacked in the Azov Sea
Next attacks announced 414th Independent Brigade of Unmanned Systems "Birds of Madziara". Ukrainian drones again hit primarily tankers used to transport fuel to Crimea and other ports controlled by Russia.
On the night of July 9, Ukrainian drones were to attack 13 ships, of which ten were tankers. This was another installment of activities carried out on approaches to the Kerchen Strait and in the anchorage areas used by Russian shipping.
The Ukrainian chart includes 48 hits from 6 to 10 July. However, this does not mean that exactly 48 different ships were damaged. The command of the Ukrainian Unmanned System Forces admitted that some units were attacked more than once.
Ukrainian balance sheet needs careful assessment
Recordings published by the Ukrainian website show moments drone strikes decks, superstructures and stern parts of ships. However, they do not allow in any case to determine the extent of the damage or to confirm whether the unit has been deactivated from further operation.
For this reason, ships attacked or hit, not 48 sunk or destroyed units, should be referred to. The Ukrainian balance sheet is primarily a combination of effective drone approaches to the target.
Confirmation of some attacks also appears on the Russian side. The authorities of the Rostov region reported the fires on two tankers in the Azov Sea and the evacuation of their crews. However, no complete list of damaged ships was provided.
Tankers under constant pressure from Ukrainian drones
The attacks conducted since 6 July show that it is no longer about individual impacts, but about a multi-day operation aimed at fuel transport. In her first phase, Ukrainians reported a hit of 21 units in 72 hours. Then, on the night of July 9, 14 more ships were to be attacked – 12 tankers, a cargo ship and a tugboat.
Among the revealed names were Aura, Ilya Repin, Mercury, Galiagar Kamal, Venus III, Penelope and a tugboat Alfeo. At the same time, data on some of the objectives remained incomplete, while the location of some ships could not be verified by means of AIS system.
This makes independent confirmation of the whole Ukrainian list more difficult.
Fuel transport to Crimea is increasingly risky
Russia needs the Azov Sea to maintain fuel transport and supplies in Crimea. Access to this reservoir leads through the Kerchen Straits, therefore every effective attack in this area hits one of the most important routes of Russian logistics. Tankers awaiting passage or roCargo remain for a long time in areas whose location is known and relatively easy to observe.
Ukrainians don't have to sink every ship to disrupt this system. Repeated strikes force route changes, dispersal of units, additional security and transshipment interruptions. At the same time, each damaged tanker limits the number of ships available to Fuel transport.
For Russia, the problem is not just the number of ships hit. It is much more important that tankers have ceased to be safe even in the Azov Sea, which for a long time was considered to be waters beyond the reach of Ukrainian strikes.
