The head of Ukraine’s drone forces says 285 such Russian ships have been hit in 10 weeks A sustained Ukrainian drone campaign targeting vessels from Russia’s sanctions-busting ‘shadow fleet’ has effectively halted such marine traffic via the Sea of Azov, the commander of Ukraine’s drone forces has said. The operation, dubbed ‘MoLoChKa,’ has struck 285 ships over a 10-week period, Major Robert ‘Magyar’ Brovdi claimed in a Facebook post on Saturday. He said shadow fleet traffic had been “effectively halted” in the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait. The Kerch Strait is a narrow chokepoint between the Crimean peninsula and Russia connecting the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea. The Ukrainian drone commander added that shadow fleet traffic in the Black Sea had been significantly disrupted. Tanker hit? Brovdi’s Facebook post also contained a video purportedly showing the tanker Armada Leader being hit while being escorted by a Russian military helicopter. Brovdi's units hit 215 vessels in July, 54 in August and 16 in the first 11 days of September, the commander said. Moscow’s shadow fleet, used to export oil and gas in circumvention of international restrictions, has increasingly been targeted by EU and US sanctions to stem financing for Russia’s war chest.
