---
title: "«Crimea Switch» and strikes on tankers: large-scale operation by Ukraine's UAS on the night of July 8"
description: "Ukrainian Unmanned Aerial Systems forces struck more than 9 tankers of the Russian Federation's \"shadow fleet\" in the Sea of Azov and 53 military targets in Crimea. As part of the \"Crimea Switch off\" operation, another 6 substations were hit, causing a blackout. Over the last 6 months, attacks deep inside the enemy have increased by 1150%. 🚀⚡🇺🇦"
date: 2026-07-08T07:28:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/crimea-switch-and-strikes-on-tankers-large-scale-operation-by-ukraines-uas-on-the-night-of-july-8
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# «Crimea Switch» and strikes on tankers: large-scale operation by Ukraine's UAS on the night of July 8

![Ukrainian SSO operators controlling drones at a field command post during Operation 'Crimean Switch'](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/09/udar-sbs-po-tankeram-i-krymu-8-iyulya/udar-sbs-po-tankeram-i-krymu-8-iyulya-1.webp)

Ukrainian Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) forces carried out a large-scale series of strikes on the night of July 8, focusing on disrupting the logistics of the "shadow fleet" and the energy infrastructure of Crimea. According to UAS Commander Robert "Madyar" Brovda, more than nine Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov were hit in a single night.

### Strikes on the "shadow fleet" and maritime targets

The operation conducted by UAS units was part of an ongoing campaign to undermine the enemy's economic and military logistics. The commander confirmed that the "UAS birds" struck more than 9 tankers of the Russian Federation's "shadow fleet" in the Sea of Azov. This event continued a series of attacks: in the last 72 hours, Ukrainian operators have already hit 21 vessels.

Elite units were involved in carrying out the operation: "Madyar's Birds" of the 414th Separate UAS Brigade, the 413rd Separate "Raid" Regiment, and the 1st Separate UAS Center. Earlier, on the night of July 7, "Madyar" reported the destruction of two tankers, as well as 8 fuel tankers, one cargo ship, and one ferry of the "shadow fleet".

### Escalation in Crimea: "Crimea Switch off"

In addition to maritime targets, strikes were launched against objects in Crimea. As part of the "Crimea Switch off" operation, another 6 substations were put out of commission overnight. This led to a partial blackout on the peninsula. In total, from July 1 to July 8, the UAS struck 50 energy nodes and other important enemy objects.

On the night of July 8, Ukrainian drones hit 53 military targets in the operational depth of the enemy in Crimea, as well as in southern Russia. All actions were coordinated by the UAS Deep Strike Center, which indicates a high level of organization and planning of the attacks.

### Growing effectiveness of attacks

The Unmanned Aerial Systems forces note a significant increase in activity. Over the last 6 months, the number of attacks in the operational and strategic depth of the enemy has increased by 1150%. This indicates a shift to a more aggressive tactic and an expansion of strike zones, which creates serious problems for Russian military and economic infrastructure.