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Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces said its drone units have struck a total of 218 vessels linked to Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov since July 6, as part of an ongoing campaign it calls Operation "MoLoCHka."
The claim, made on the force's official Telegram channel and amplified by its commander, Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, has not been independently verified or confirmed by Russian authorities.
According to a statement from Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, operators from the 414th Brigade "Birds of Magyar," the 20th Brigade K-2 and the 413th "Raid" Regiment struck 12 more vessels from what it described as Russia's remaining shadow fleet in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov between Aug. 1 and Aug. 8.
The statement said Russian forces attempted to counter the drone operators using Pantsir surface-to-air missile systems, which it said was captured on video, but that this did not stop the operations from continuing.
"Since the start of Operation MoLoCHka, from July 6 to Aug. 8, the Unmanned Systems Forces' drones have effectively struck 218 vessels," the force said in its statement.
"Of these, 134 were in the Sea of Azov and 84 in the Black Sea," the statement added.
Brovdi, using the call sign Magyar, separately wrote on Telegram that the unit had hit "12 more shadow fleet ships this week," bringing the operation's total to 218 vessels since July 6. He said the Kerch Strait had been blocked for 30 consecutive days as a result of the campaign.
Citing analysts at Oko Gora, Brovdi said ship traffic in the Sea of Azov had dropped 90% over the past month, from 134 vessels on July 6 to just 14 on Aug. 6.
"It's been a while since I updated the statistics on vessels in the Sea of Azov. The number of tankers and dry cargo ships has fallen further, 14 objects as of Aug. 6," the Oko Gora analysis said.
"July 6, 134 units; Aug. 7, 14 units. Minus 90% of vessel traffic over a month," the analysis.
The claims come amid a broader escalation of mutual attacks on ports, grain terminals and commercial vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov that have disrupted Russian and Ukrainian grain shipments and fueled global food security concerns.
Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry recorded 35 attacks on vessels in port, 22 on vessels at sea and 67 on port facilities last month, while Ukraine has also intensified drone attacks on Russian ports, grain terminals and commercial vessels along the Black Sea and Sea of Azov coast.
Russia's Defense Ministry has said the targets it struck in Ukrainian ports and vessels were used for military purposes, while Ukrainian authorities say a significant portion of the targeted facilities and ships are used for civilian trade and agricultural exports.
Both Moscow and Kyiv deny targeting the other side's civilian ships and port infrastructure.
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