---
title: "Operation 'Molochka' and Loss Statistics: Ukraine Attacks the 'Shadow Fleet' and Publishes Data on Russian Losses"
description: "Ukraine conducted Operation 'Molochka', attacking 172 vessels of the Russian 'shadow fleet' in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine updated the statistics of Russian losses, claiming 1.4 million killed soldiers and tens of thousands of units of equipment. Independent analysts from Oryx confirm the destruction of more than 23,000 units of equipment. 🇺🇦🚢📉"
date: 2026-07-18T12:15:06.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-attacks-russian-shadow-fleet-and-publishes-loss-statistics
tags: [ukraine, russia, shadow-fleet, military-losses, black-sea]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Operation 'Molochka' and Loss Statistics: Ukraine Attacks the 'Shadow Fleet' and Publishes Data on Russian Losses

![Night thermal image of a ship attacked during Operation 'MoLoChka', with targeting marker and text FIRE POINT RAID 413](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/18/ukraina-atakaet-tennyiy-fлот-rossii-i-publikuet-statistiku-potery/ukraina-atakaet-tennyiy-fлот-rossii-i-publikuet-statistiku-potery-1.webp)

Ukrainian Armed Forces continue active operations against the enemy's logistical chains. This was revealed in a statement by Ukrainian officer Robert "Madjar" Brovdy, published in a Telegram channel on July 18. According to him, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck vessels belonging to the so-called Russian "shadow fleet," which operates in the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

### Details of Operation 'Molochka'

Officer Brovdy reported the launch of a large-scale operation codenamed "Molochka." Over the course of 13 days of active operations, Ukrainian drones attacked 172 Russian vessels. The geography of the strikes covered two key regions: 118 attacks occurred in the Sea of Azov and 54 in the Black Sea.

Among the destroyed or damaged targets were various types of vessels ensuring logistics and resource transportation. Specifically, the following were attacked:

    - eight cargo ships;

    - one oil tanker;

    - one liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker;

    - one tugboat;

    - two floating cranes.

Later, Brovdy clarified the strategic goal of these actions. According to him, the efforts of the US and Ukrainian Special Operations Forces were directed at intercepting the transportation of oil, fuel, and other cargo by ships that Russia uses to bypass Western sanctions.

### Loss Statistics: Data from the Ukrainian General Staff

Parallel to reports of strikes on the fleet, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine updated data on Russian army losses since the start of the conflict in February 2022. According to official statistics published on July 18, Russian losses reached the following figures:

    - **Personnel:** 1,427,410 soldiers;

    - **Tanks:** 12,151 units;

    - **Armored fighting vehicles:** 24,956 units;

    - **Artillery systems:** 46,169 units;

    - **Trucks and motorized equipment:** 121,742 units;

    - **SAW (Surface-to-Air Missile Systems):** 1,502 systems;

    - **Air Force:** 438 fighter jets and 354 helicopters;

    - **Navy:** 34 warships and 2 submarines.

### Independent Loss Assessment

At the same time, data from independent military analysts may differ from official statements by the parties. The Dutch website Oryxspioenkop, specializing in verified information on equipment losses, updated its data on July 17. According to their calculations, the total number of destroyed Russian heavy equipment amounts to 23,837 units.

This figure includes 4,427 tanks and 2,429 armored fighting vehicles. The discrepancy in figures is explained by the methodology of calculation: the Ukrainian General Staff sums up all claimed losses, whereas Oryx only counts equipment whose destruction is confirmed by photo or video evidence.