Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) have radically changed their tactics in the fight against the Russian naval fleet. While efforts were previously concentrated on the Sea of Azov, the zone of active hostilities has now shifted to the Black Sea. This was stated by USF Commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdy in his Telegram channel, summarizing the results of a large-scale operation.

Completion of the first phase: results in the Sea of Azov

According to Brovdy, the preliminary phase of the naval campaign has been successfully completed. During this time, Ukrainian military forces struck 116 vessels of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" in the Sea of Azov. This result has significantly limited the adversary's ability to transport cargo and equipment through this waterway.

New wave of escalation: strikes in the Black Sea

With the transition to the next phase of the operation, the geography of the strikes has expanded. Robert Brovdy reported impressive results achieved in the Black Sea within a single day. According to his data, Ukrainian drones have destroyed or damaged a significant number of merchant vessels used by the Russian side.

Specifically, the commander provided the following figures for the current day:

  • 17 oil tankers;
  • 2 gas tankers;
  • 1 tugboat.

Brovdy noted that the full official report with video evidence will be published later, but he confirmed the fact of strikes on 20 vessels in the Black Sea.

Context and previous successes

These events are a continuation of a series of successful operations by the Unmanned Systems Forces. The day before, on July 13, Ukrainian military forces also demonstrated high effectiveness. On that day, the USF struck 15 enemy vessels and, according to reports, killed or wounded 311 Russian servicemen.

Particular attention should be paid to the incident involving the Russian FSB border ship "Izumrud". The vessel was sunk by a sea drone near Novorossiysk. This event has historical context: it was the ship "Izumrud" that participated in the attack on Ukrainian Navy ships in the Kerch Strait in 2018, which became one of the key incidents that provoked a deterioration in relations between the countries.