Russia halts Kerch Strait shipping after drone strikes

A series of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian commercial vessels in the Sea of Azov has escalated into a major disruption of maritime logistics, prompting Russia to suspend all shipping through the Kerch Strait. The intensified campaign, which began on July 6, has coincided with a significant political reshuffle in Kyiv and continued cross-border strikes that have resulted in civilian casualties.

Ukrainian forces have focused their attacks on what they describe as Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers and cargo ships supplying occupied Crimea. According to Ukrainian military reports, dozens of vessels have been struck over the past week. A commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces stated that overnight on July -11, drones hit 21 tankers, four tugboats, and several other vessels. Earlier strikes from July 6 to July 10 reportedly targeted numerous other ships, with video evidence indicating many were set ablaze. The cumulative effect has been a noticeable reduction in the shadow tanker fleet and a critical bottleneck at the strategic Kerch Strait.

In response, Russian authorities have halted all commercial navigation through the Kerch Strait and the Don-Azov canal....