Ukraine’s Drones Burn 147 Russian Oil Ships, Forcing Putin to Pull Elite Troops From Frontline
Ukraine has struck 147 Russian shadow-fleet oil tankers in ten days, forcing Moscow to pull its best drone unit off the frontline to guard its remaining ships at sea.
A Ukrainian partisan network reports that Russia is redeploying its elite Rubicon drone unit from fighting near Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine to protect oil tankers in the Black Sea [197273]. The unit, which built its reputation hunting Ukrainian supply lines, is now being sent to guard the "shadow fleet" of tankers that Russia uses to evade Western sanctions [197273].
The move comes as six Ukrainian drone units launched a coordinated new phase of attacks on Tuesday, targeting Russian oil vessels that had sheltered in the Black Sea after earlier strikes in the Azov Sea [197291]. The operation involved groups from Magyar’s Birds to the Raid regiment, which has been burning Russian ships for days [197291]. The drones followed the fleet as it moved, extending the reach of Ukraine’s naval campaign beyond coastal waters [197291].
Over the past ten days, Ukraine has reportedly struck 147 of these shadow-fleet ships, forcing Moscow to shift its military priorities [197273]. The attacks are severely disrupting Russia’s oil exports [197273].
Meanwhile, satellite images reveal that Russia has removed S-300 and S-400 missile batteries from key Arctic bases, leaving them nearly defenseless [197295]. The systems were pulled from long-held sites near Rogachevo and the nuclear-submarine city of Severodvinsk [197295]. The redeployment aims to protect Moscow and inland oil refineries from Ukrainian drone strikes, but it strips the Arctic of crucial air cover [197295].