Ukrainian Drones Cripple Russia’s Black Sea Fuel Lifeline
Ukraine pressed a sweeping long-range campaign against Russian energy and naval targets, striking three oil depots in Stavropol Krai some 600km inside Russia and setting off large fires. Ukrainian commanders said their forces had hit 176 Russian vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov since 6 July and destroyed five ferries handling around 80 per cent of military transport to occupied Crimea, cutting the Kerch crossing’s capacity by three-quarters.
The campaign aims to isolate Crimea by severing the sea, rail and ferry routes that sustain Russian forces there, while deep strikes on refineries and depots throttle fuel supply and export revenue. A drone strike also halted oil loading at the Novorossiysk terminal, and Ukraine hit a shadow-fleet tanker used to evade sanctions. Combined with strikes on Russian refineries, the effort is tightening global diesel markets even as Middle East crude spikes. The unmanned-forces commander, Major Robert Brovdi, reported the tally of vessels struck. Watch whether Russia diverts scarce air defence south, and the effect on refined-product prices into winter.