Russia has suspended shipping in the Sea of Azov after Ukrainian drone strikes targeted 90 vessels in less than a week, according to Ukraine's drone forces chief Robert Brovdi. Speaking on Sunday, Brovdi said his units hit 10 tankers and four ferries overnight, along with a major oil refinery in Syzran and several electricity substations in occupied Crimea.
Shadow Fleet Under Attack
Brovdi wrote on social media: "The technological humiliation of the [Russian] empire continues. It will fall because of Crimea." He noted that Moscow's shadow fleet, which transports sanctioned oil products globally, was "noticeably shrinking" and could no longer use the Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov with the Black Sea. The Sea of Azov is a vital waterway linking Russia to eastern Europe, crucial for shipping oil, grain, and steel to international markets.
Russia suspended shipping through the Don-Azov canal on Friday, Reuters reported. This canal connects to a Russian river network and the Caspian Sea, effectively shutting down the export route via Kerch and the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey.
Strategic Implications
Ukraine's former defence minister, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, stated that the Kremlin had lost control of a "critical" maritime corridor. He said the blockade affects military vessels and shipping transporting grain stolen from occupied southern Ukraine through the ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol. "The Caspian Sea doesn't have any connection to the world's oceans. It has turned into a lake. All of its products – agricultural, fertiliser, whatever – go through this channel and river," Zagorodnyuk explained. He added that Russia's small flotilla in the Caspian was trapped, predicting further strikes on Russian ships near Novorossiysk.
Broader Campaign
Ukraine has systematically destroyed much of Russia's radar and anti-aircraft defences, enabling long-range strikes on oil refineries, including one in Omsk, Siberia, 2,700 km from Ukrainian territory. Residents in Syzran reported drone sounds at 5 am on Sunday followed by loud explosions. Photos and videos showed a large fire at the oil refinery, with thick black smoke rising above an industrial area. The complex supplies the Russian military and sends fuel abroad via the Azov-Kerch canal.
Kyiv has also launched mid-range strikes on land and sea supply routes into occupied Crimea, hitting lorries, ships, and crossing points. One tanker caught fire as it entered the Azov-Black Sea canal, Russian officials said. Local channels reported two large oil spills off Taganrog.
Strategy to Isolate Crimea
Yevgeniya Gaber, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the attacks are part of a broader strategy to isolate Crimea and "turn it into an island." The goal is "to progressively degrade Russia's ability to sustain offensive operations by disrupting logistics, fuel supplies and transport infrastructure, and cutting off military units in the south of Ukraine," she said. Gaber added: "There is not a single oil refinery that is unhit now. Maritime logistics in the Sea of Azov, all of this fits into the same strategy and operational concept, which is a strategic neutralisation of Russia. I'm sure we will see more deep strikes on Russian territory."
Impact on Crimea
Repeated Ukrainian attacks have forced authorities in Crimea to declare a state of emergency. Widespread electricity blackouts and acute petrol shortages have been reported, and the peninsula's tourist industry has collapsed. Car drivers have been forced to travel to Russia for fuel, with long queues at petrol stations. Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strikes on Russia's energy infrastructure as part of Kyiv's campaign of "long-range sanctions" in response to Moscow's refusal to end the war. Vladimir Putin insists his original military goals—to seize the eastern Donbas and other Ukrainian regions—are unchanged.
Overnight, three people were killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region, including two in a bombing of an industrial facility in Kryvyi Rih, regional officials said. A separate drone attack on Kherson killed a 48-year-old, reported its mayor, Yaroslav Shanko.
