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Russia Halts Azov Sea Shipping as Ukrainian Drone Campaign Targets Tanker Fleet
Kyiv Post • • world
Key Points:
- Russia has temporarily suspended commercial navigation through the Kerch Strait and Don-Azov Canal following a large-scale Ukrainian drone campaign targeting Russian maritime logistics and oil infrastructure, with no timeline given for resumption.
- The suspension has disrupted global agricultural markets, as the Azov Sea handles up to 25% of Russia’s wheat exports, causing wheat futures on the Euronext exchange to rise nearly 4% to a six-week high.
- On July 11, Russian authorities reported further drone strikes on vessels in the Gulf of Taganrog, with minor damage to four ships including a methanol tanker, and intercepted over 15 UAVs targeting nearby regions.
- Ukraine’s General Staff announced a major drone operation on July 10 that struck 18 Russian vessels, including 13 oil tankers from Russia’s sanctioned “shadow fleet” near Crimea, alongside attacks on Russian mainland fuel infrastructure and electrical substations in occupied Crimea.
- The coordinated strikes aim to disrupt Moscow’s war logistics by targeting maritime transport, oil refineries, terminals, and energy networks critical to Russian military operations.
