General Staff: 12 tankers in the Sea of Azov and an oil terminal in Bataysk were hit overnight

The vessels were used to supply fuel to Russian troops and transport oil to circumvent sanctions.

On the night of July 9, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit 12 tankers, one tugboat and one dry cargo ship of the Russian Federation in the waters of the Sea of ​​Azov. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The affected vessels were used, in particular, to supply fuel and lubricants to groups of Russian troops, as well as to transport oil and oil products to circumvent international sanctions. Such export of energy carriers is one of the key sources of financing the war against Ukraine. The extent of the damage is being clarified.

On the same night, the “Yug Rusa” oil filling terminal in Bataysk, Rostov region, was hit – a fire was recorded in the area of ​​the enterprise. The terminal ensures the transshipment of petroleum products for export and the supply of fuel to the Russian military group in the southern direction, as well as foreign currency income for financing aggression.

The strikes are part of a broader campaign by the Unmanned Systems Force against the “shadow fleet” in the Sea of ​​Azov. According to the commander of the SBS, Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, in the last 72 hours alone, Ukrainian drones hit 21 vessels – 19 tankers of the “shadow fleet”, dry cargo and a ferry in Kerch.

Such a scale has not been recorded since the beginning of a full-scale war. Each affected tanker was carrying about 7,000 tons of fuel — the equivalent of 200 railroad tank cars.

Before that, USM wrote that the SBU Sea Baby sea drone hit the “Blue” tanker, which is part of the “shadow fleet” of the Russian Federation.