UKRAINE SEA OF AZOV DRONE STRIKES DISRUPT RUSSIAN SHIPPING, KILL ONE, OFFICIALS SAY

Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian vessels in and around the Sea of Azov have disrupted shipping and killed one seaman, according to Russian officials and Ukrainian military statements reported by Reuters, the Associated Press and The Guardian. The latest reported incident involved four vessels in Taganrog Bay, including a tanker carrying methanol, while Ukraine said its wider campaign has hit dozens of Russian tankers and support ships over the past week.

Yury Slyusar, governor of Russia's Rostov region, said a seaman on a technical support vessel was killed in the Taganrog Bay attack, according to The Guardian. Slyusar said no one else was injured, that the vessels sustained varying degrees of damage, and that there was no risk of a methanol spill or leak from the tanker involved.

The Taganrog Bay strike came as Ukraine intensified attacks on Russian maritime logistics in the Sea of Azov. Reuters reported that Ukraine's drone forces chief, Robert Brovdi, said Ukrainian units struck 21 fuel tanker vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight, along with seven other cargo and support ships, bringing the week's total to 76 vessels struck. AP reported a similar Ukrainian claim, while noting that Russian officials said only four ships came under attack.

The claims could not be independently verified in full by Mission Offline. Ukraine and Russia regularly release conflicting accounts of strike damage, casualty figures and military impact. The most firmly reported elements are that Russian authorities acknowledged a fatal drone strike on four vessels in Taganrog Bay, while Ukraine claimed a wider maritime campaign against Russian tankers and support ships.

The Sea of Azov is strategically important because it connects Russian-controlled and occupied areas to broader maritime and river transport routes. The Guardian reported that Russia had been forced to suspend shipping in the Sea of Azov after Ukrainian drone attacks targeted vessels across the corridor. It also reported that Russia suspended shipping through the Don-Azov canal, a route connecting the Sea of Azov with Russia's river network and the Caspian Sea.

Ukraine has framed the strikes as part of a broader campaign to pressure Russia's fuel, logistics and military supply networks. Reuters reported that Kyiv has been targeting vessels and trucks deep behind front lines to deprive Russian forces of fuel and munitions. The Guardian reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described strikes on Russian energy infrastructure as part of a "long-range sanctions" campaign against Moscow.

The maritime strikes are happening alongside Ukraine's expanding attacks on Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure. Reuters reported earlier this week that Ukrainian drones hit Russian oil refineries, tankers in the Sea of Azov and pipeline pumping stations in a major overnight strike wave, while Russia has continued missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The practical effect is a growing contest over logistics rather than only front-line territory. If Ukrainian drones can keep damaging vessels, ports, refineries and canal-linked transport routes, Russia may face higher costs moving fuel and other cargo through the Azov-Kerch corridor. If Russian authorities can restore shipping quickly, the disruption may be temporary but still costly. For now, the confirmed public record shows one seaman killed, four vessels reported hit, a methanol tanker involved without a reported leak risk, and broader Ukrainian claims of strikes against many more Russian vessels.

Fact-check date: July 12, 2026
Article type: News
Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; The Guardian; Bloomberg; The Moscow Times; Rostov Governor Yury Slyusar and Ukraine drone forces chief Robert Brovdi, as reported by those outlets