Ukraine's drone forces say 285 Russian shadow fleet vessels hit in 10-week operation
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (СБС) commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi says his service has struck 285 vessels of Russia's shadow fleet in the Black and Azov seas during the ten-week "MoLoChKa" operation. According to Brovdi, the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait are now effectively blocked to shadow-fleet shipping, and navigation in the northern and north-eastern Black Sea is heavily restricted.
Key points
- СБС commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi reported 285 shadow-fleet vessels struck since the start of operation "MoLoChKa".
- The operation has been running for ten weeks and covers the Azov and Black seas.
- In July, СБС reported striking 215 vessels (given as 206 + 9 in some sources); 54 in August; 16 between 1 and 11 September.
- Brovdi says the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait are effectively blocked for shadow-fleet vessels, and that passage in the northern and north-eastern Black Sea is possible only in short bursts.
- He published video he said shows СБС drones hitting a sanctioned shadow-fleet oil tanker escorted by a Russian helicopter.
- Brovdi frames the shadow fleet's oil revenue as a source of financing for Russia's war against Ukraine.
Why it matters
Sustained Ukrainian drone strikes against Russia's shadow fleet are degrading a network of tankers that Moscow uses to keep oil revenues flowing despite sanctions — revenues that, as Brovdi argues, fund the war against Ukraine. Effective disruption of that fleet is therefore a direct pressure point on Russia's war financing.
What happened
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (СБС) commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi gave an update on operation "MoLoChKa", saying it has been running for ten weeks in the Azov and Black seas. He put the total number of struck shadow-fleet vessels at 285, broken down as 215 in July (reported as 206 + 9 in some sources and as a single 215 figure in another), 54 in August, and 16 between 1 and 11 September. He also published video he said shows СБС drones attacking a sanctioned shadow-fleet oil tanker while a Russian helicopter provided escort. According to Brovdi, the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait are now effectively closed to shadow-fleet vessels, and movement in the northern and north-eastern Black Sea is possible only in short bursts, with "smoking on the bridge strictly prohibited". He framed the shadow fleet's oil-transport revenues as financing Russia's war against Ukraine.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All four supplied sources are Ukrainian outlets — Ukrinform, Suspilne Novyny, Ukrainska Pravda and Liga.net/LB.ua — citing the same СБС commander. The reporting centres on Ukrainian operational success against Russia's shadow fleet and treats the ten-week toll of 285 vessels as a measure of that success.
Where reporting differs
Brovdi's July strike tally is reported as 206 + 9 (totalling 215) in some of the sources and as a single 215 figure in another; the two figures describe the same month but are presented differently across outlets.
Background
Russia's "shadow fleet" is the network of tankers, often operating under opaque ownership and flags, that Moscow uses to ship oil outside the price-cap and sanctions regime imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Brovdi frames the revenues these tankers generate as a source of funding for Russia's war against Ukraine.