Units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck 21 Russian tankers, four tugboats, two dry cargo ships, and a dredger in the waters of the Sea of Azov. 

According to Ukrinform, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on Facebook.

On the night of July 11, as part of efforts to reduce the Russian Federation’s military and economic potential, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck enemy vessels in the waters of the Sea of Azov.

Specifically, 21 tankers belonging to the Russian Federation were hit.

The tankers are used to transport oil and petroleum products in circumvention of international sanctions, providing funds to finance armed aggression against Ukraine.

Four tugboats, two dry cargo ships, and a dredger, which the Russians use to support military logistics, transport cargo, and maintain port infrastructure, were also struck.

The extent of the damage and the results of the strikes are being clarified.

As Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, added on Facebook, 73 effective hits were confirmed.

In total, overnight, 53 legitimate military targets, including naval vessels and energy facilities, were struck within the Russians’ rear in the temporarily occupied Crimea and the southern part of Ukraine’s territories seized by the enemy.

“The following pilots were assigned to attack the shadow tanker fleet: 9th Battalion ‘Kairos’ of the 414th Separate Regiment ‘Madyar’s Birds’, 20th Separate Brigade of Unmanned Systems K-2, 1st Center of Unmanned Aerial Systems, 413th Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems ‘Raid’, 412th Separate Brigade of Unmanned Systems ‘Nemesis’, and 427th Unmanned Systems Brigade ‘Rarog’,” Brovdi noted.

Read also: USF strike key Kuban–Crimea energy bridge facility, three radar stations, and training ground overnight

As reported by Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree establishing a long-range command within the Armed Forces, which will concentrate available resources to reduce Russia’s war potential.