Ukraine Hits 159 Russian Ships in 12 Days as Grain Ports Remain Blocked

Ukraine’s drone warfare campaign, dubbed “shipfall,” is targeting Moscow’s naval capabilities with precision strikes and shows no sign of slowing, according to the country’s drone chief, who has vowed the operation will continue indefinitely [198620]. The relentless pace marks a strategic shift aimed at degrading Russia’s Black Sea fleet and disrupting supply lines, military analysts note [198620].

At the same time, Russia’s recent strikes have blocked Ukraine’s deepwater grain ports, halting all maritime grain exports. Almost all remaining grain now depends on a single railway line; if that line is hit, Ukraine will have no way to ship its grain out of the country [198629].

In a separate long-range operation, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) flew drones 800 kilometers to the Engels airbase inside Russia and destroyed a Tu-95 strategic bomber, tearing off its tail section. Because the Soviet Union stopped building these aircraft decades ago, the bomber is gone for good [198621]. The attack marks one of the deepest Ukrainian strikes into Russian territory since the war began [198621].

Ukraine’s long-range weapons have also forced Russia to relocate its air defense systems to protect cities and key infrastructure. New satellite images reveal that Russia’s only shipyard capable of building nuclear submarines has been left without advanced defensive systems [198276].