Russia has Reduced its Tanker Presence in the Sea of Azov Following Further Attacks on Ships During the night of July 12

Russia has reduced the number of tankers in the Sea of Azov due to active strikes by Ukrainian drones.

The Telegram channel “Oko Gora” reported on this.

According to estimates, the number of vessels near Kerch has dropped by 75%—from 37 to 9.

However, the author notes that this number is not the highest possible, as up to 80 vessels have been in the Sea of Azov at various times.

Currently, most of the ships have sailed into the Black Sea, approximately 50 km from their previous location, while some have gone to repair and storage facilities. Meanwhile, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that on the night of July 12 alone, drones struck 10 tankers and 4 ferries.

🤯 Following the start of the operation targeting tankers in the Sea of Azov, the number of vessels near Kerch has decreased by 75%.

🟢 Before – 37;
🟢 Now – 9.

It’s worth noting that the “before” figure fluctuated over time, at times reaching as many as 80 vessels.

Some… pic.twitter.com/3aYjMqvn4f

— Oko Gora (@oko_gora_tg) July 12, 2026

Russia temporarily suspended the passage of ships through the Kerch Strait and the Don-Azov Shipping Channel following an attack by Ukrainian drones on Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov.

The FSB Border Service informed shipping companies that, as of 6:10 p.m. local time on July 10, 2026, it had stopped accepting applications for passage through the Kerch Strait, which connects the Azov and Black Seas.

This occurred due to the active targeting of ships heading toward Russia and those departing from Russian ports.

According to a statement by Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, over seven days—from July 6 to July 12—Ukrainian drones struck a total of 90 vessels.

The following units were deployed for the operation to strike ships: the 414th Birds of Madyar Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, the 20th K-2 Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, the 1st Separate Unmanned Systems Center, the 413th Raid Separate Regiment of Unmanned Aerial Systems, the 412th Nemesis Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, and the 427th Rarog Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade.

Militarnyi previously reported that overnight on July 10, the Defense Forces targeted 18 Russian ships that were providing logistical support to the occupied Crimea.

The Unmanned Systems Forces reported that drones struck 13 vessels of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” on the approaches to the temporarily occupied Crimea.