Ukraine Expands Drone Campaign Against Russian Black Sea Shipping
Kyiv-Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone campaign against Russian shipping in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, targeting vessels and logistics supporting Moscow’s military operations in occupied Crimea as both sides escalate attacks on strategic maritime infrastructure.
Operating from southern Ukraine, drone units have struck more than 180 vessels and other maritime targets around the Crimean Peninsula over the past three weeks, according to the military unit involved. Reuters was unable to independently verify those claims.
The campaign marks an expansion of Ukraine’s efforts to disrupt Russian supply routes to Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014 and has used as a key military and logistics hub since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“We work day and night, every day, without time off,” said the commander of one of the participating battalions, identified only by the call sign “Ray,” in keeping with Ukrainian military practice.
During a visit by Reuters to a launch site in southern Ukraine, soldiers prepared and launched attack drones at regular intervals. Members of the unit said they had recently struck a cargo vessel, a floating crane in the Black Sea and a power substation in southern Crimea. Reuters could not independently verify the reported attacks.
The latest operations form part of a broader contest over control of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up strikes on Ukrainian ports and commercial shipping, while Ukraine has expanded attacks on maritime and logistical targets linked to Russia’s war effort.
Ukraine’s agriculture minister said on Thursday that some shipowners had temporarily suspended vessel arrivals at the country’s Black Sea ports for agricultural exports following the increase in attacks.
Ukrainian officials say recent operations have shifted from targeting road and rail links connecting Crimea with southern Russia to attacking oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels transporting supplies.
Commander Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, who oversees the drone forces conducting the campaign, said the objective was to undermine Russia’s control over Crimea and establish Ukrainian dominance in its territorial waters. His forces have reported striking roughly six vessels a day since the latest phase of the campaign began in July, although Reuters could not independently confirm those figures.
Sidharth Kaushal, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said increased Ukrainian attacks on Russian land-based logistics had made maritime transport through the Sea of Azov more important, creating additional opportunities for Ukrainian drone strikes. He described the maritime campaign as a logical extension of Kyiv’s broader effort to pressure Russian forces in Crimea.
At the same time, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s southern ports, particularly Odesa and Mykolaiv, through which most of the country’s grain exports are shipped.
Ukrainian officials said 10 sailors were killed on Sunday when Russian forces struck a Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo vessel carrying corn from the port of Odesa. Ukraine’s seaports authority said Russia attacked Ukrainian ports 23 times and civilian vessels 17 times during the first two weeks of July, disrupting logistics for exporters.
Russia has said its strikes are aimed at infrastructure used to store military cargo and fuel.
The Ukrainian drone units use domestically produced FP-1 and FP-2 unmanned aircraft that fly autonomously toward operational areas before being guided by remote pilots during the final phase of their missions. Launch teams frequently relocate after each operation to reduce the risk of detection and counterattacks.
Ray said the campaign remained a continuous contest between evolving offensive and defensive capabilities, while another commander, identified by the call sign “Panama,” said the unit’s successes had strengthened morale and reinforced its determination to sustain operations.
