Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces say they have disabled 300 Russian shadow-fleet vessels in 11 weeks
Commander Robert 'Madyar' Brovdi of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces reported that his unit disabled 300 vessels of Russia's shadow fleet over 11 weeks of Operation MoLoChKa, which began on July 6. Of the 300, 134 were in the Sea of Azov and 166 in the Black Sea.
Key points
- Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces disabled 300 vessels of Russia's shadow fleet during Operation MoLoChKa.
- The operation began on July 6 and has lasted 11 weeks.
- 134 of the 300 vessels were disabled in the Sea of Azov; 166 in the Black Sea.
- Commander Robert 'Madyar' Brovdi reported the figures via Facebook on Tuesday, September 21.
- The Unmanned Systems Forces, known in Ukrainian as СБС (Сили безпілотних систем), are a branch of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
- Russia's 'shadow fleet' refers to vessels used to circumvent sanctions and move oil and other goods.
Why it matters
The 300-vessel figure marks a milestone in a sustained Ukrainian campaign targeting Russia's shadow fleet in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. It shows that Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, a relatively new military branch, can impose sustained costs on Russian maritime logistics. Because the targeted vessels are widely associated with sanctions evasion and oil transport, the campaign hits a revenue stream tied to the Russian war effort.
What happened
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (Сили безпілотних систем, СБС) reported that they disabled 300 vessels of Russia's shadow fleet over 11 weeks of Operation MoLoChKa, which began on July 6. Of the 300 vessels, 134 were in the Sea of Azov and 166 in the Black Sea. Commander Robert 'Madyar' Brovdi announced the figures via Facebook on Tuesday, September 21. The operation is ongoing, and Brovdi said the Sea of Azov together with the Kerch Strait remains blocked, while a looser 'we'll slip through somehow' regime operates in the northern and northeastern part of the Black Sea. The Unmanned Systems Forces have run a separate campaign called 'Кримський рубильник off' since July 6, focused on energy infrastructure in occupied territory.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian sources center the Unmanned Systems Forces and name commander Robert 'Madyar' Brovdi as the source of the figures, framing the operation as a named, branded campaign (MoLoChKa / МоЛоЧКа). Coverage emphasizes domestic institutional pride by attributing the result to a specific Ukrainian military branch and its commander rather than to the armed forces in general.
How international sources describe it
The single non-Ukrainian source in the set, the Azerbaijani agency APA reporting in English, carries the same 300-vessel milestone but frames it generically as 'Ukraine disables 300 vessels belonging to Russia's shadow fleet,' without naming Operation MoLoChKa or the unit's commander. International framing therefore focuses on the outcome and the target — Russia's shadow fleet — rather than on the Ukrainian unit responsible.
Background
Operation MoLoChKa began on July 6, and the 11-week figures were released by the Unmanned Systems Forces press service on Tuesday, September 21, with commander Robert 'Madyar' Brovdi as the named source. Russia's 'shadow fleet' refers to vessels used to circumvent sanctions and move oil and other goods, and disabling them is intended to cut into a revenue stream tied to the Russian war effort.