Ukraine has begun a new phase of isolating Crimea, according to the ISW
Ukraine has moved to a new phase of its campaign to isolate the temporarily occupied Crimea, focusing its strikes on Russian ships that deliver fuel to the peninsula by sea.
According to experts, the Ukrainian Armed Forces quickly adapted to changes in Russian logistics after the occupiers were forced to rely more heavily on maritime supply routes.
According to the ISW, systematic Ukrainian medium- and long-range strikes on land-based logistics routes have significantly complicated supplies between Russian territory and occupied Crimea.
As a result, the Russian command began relying on maritime fuel deliveries in an attempt to compensate for the gasoline shortage on the peninsula.
This new tactic was confirmed by a nighttime attack on the night of July 8–9, as reported by Robert Brovdy, commander of the Unmanned Systems Force.
According to him, Ukrainian drones struck 14 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov, including:
- 12 marine fuel tankers;
- the tugboat “Alfeo”;
- one dry cargo ship.
In addition, Brovdy noted that over the past 96 hours, Ukrainian drones have struck a total of 35 Russian fuel tankers, dry cargo ships, and specialized vessels.
Analysts also drew attention to information released on July 6 by Russian journalist Dmitry Kolezev, who quoted a serving Russian general.
According to him, the Russian army is currently unable to effectively counter Ukrainian medium-range strikes.
He attributed this situation to a decision by the Russian General Staff, adopted in 2024, to disband the Crimean Defense Group due to a lack of naval forces and assets to defend the peninsula.
The Institute for the Study of War predicts that further attacks on fuel-carrying vessels will complicate the occupiers’ logistics and the transportation of fuel and lubricants between Russia and occupied Crimea.
Analysts also note that fuel supply problems in Russia and on the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula have been mounting for several weeks now.
This is evidenced by a report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
On the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula, local residents report prolonged power outages, fuel shortages, rising prices, and problems with social infrastructure. According to them, the situation is particularly dire in the northern regions of the peninsula.
As a reminder, Ukraine has claimed to have struck 19 Russian tankers carrying fuel for Crimea.
