Ukraine drones hit 14 Russian ships in Sea of Azov

Ukrainian forces have escalated a campaign of long-range drone strikes against Russian maritime supply lines, claiming to have hit dozens of vessels in the Sea of Azov over several days in a bid to isolate occupied Crimea and disrupt fuel deliveries to Russian forces. The intensified attacks, which Ukrainian commanders describe as a "logistics lockdown," represent a strategic shift toward targeting critical infrastructure far from the front lines.

Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces stated that its units attacked 14 more Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight on July 9, including 12 tankers, a dry cargo ship, and a tugboat. The military said these strikes brought the total number of vessels targeted in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea over a four-day period to at least 36, with most identified as tankers from Russia's "shadow fleet" used to circumvent international sanctions. Drone commander Robert Brovdi, also known as Magyar, claimed at least 25 ships were hit and set on fire between July 6 and July 9.

Satellite imagery and social media footage, which Russian pro-war channels have not disputed, appear to show multiple vessels ablaze. One satellite image from July 8 showed a...