At least 11 more Russian-linked vessels were struck in the Sea of Azov on July 16, including tankers, cargo ships and tugboats, pushing Ukraine’s claimed July total to 147.
Russia has already responded by restricting traffic through the Kerch Strait and the Don-Azov Channel, showing the attacks are disrupting a corridor Moscow had treated as a protected supply route.
Kyiv’s campaign aims to raise the cost of the war by pressuring Russia’s economy, using long-range maritime and aerial drones to threaten fuel, grain and industrial cargo flows.
The Sea of Azov is critical because it links southern Russia to the Black Sea and inland river networks, and roughly a quarter of Russian wheat exports normally move through it.
The latest strikes extend a broader shipping offensive after Ukraine said a day earlier its drones hit 20 Russian vessels in the Black Sea, including 17 oil tankers.