▲ Ukrainian forces preparing for a medium-range drone strike.
Russia has effectively closed the Sea of Azov, a critical supply route, in the aftermath of Ukrainian drone strikes.
According to reports from the British daily The Guardian and Reuters on July 12 (local time), Russia suspended vessel operations on the Don-Azov Canal, which serves as the gateway connecting Russia's inland waterways to the Sea of Azov, on July 10.
The Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water, is distinct from the Sea of Azov, which serves as a vital logistics hub connecting to Eastern Europe.
The closure of the Sea of Azov route not only severs Russia's export path to the Black Sea but also blocks maritime supply lines leading to the Crimean Peninsula.
Andriy Zagorodnyuk, former Ukrainian Minister of Defense, told The Guardian, "Russia has lost control over a key maritime corridor," adding that "the Caspian Sea has effectively become an isolated lake."
Russia resorted to this desperate measure because recent intense attacks by Ukrainian forces have made shipping within the Sea of Azov virtually impossible.
According to The Guardian, Ukrainian forces have recently been conducting medium-range strikes targeting land and maritime supply routes to the Crimean Peninsula. Reports indicate that approximately 90 Russian vessels have been struck in just one week.
Local broadcasters reported that two large-scale oil spills occurred in the Gulf of Taganrog in the Sea of Azov on this day.
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, stated that his drone units attacked 10 oil tankers and 4 passenger ships overnight, while also focusing strikes on major oil facilities in the Russian inland city of Syzran.
On social media, he claimed, "Moscow's shadow fleet, which transports sanctioned petroleum products around the world, has noticeably shrunk," adding, "They can no longer use the Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea."
Experts analyze that this Ukrainian offensive is a strategic attempt to isolate the Crimean Peninsula and paralyze Russian maritime logistics.
The strategy appears to be to maximize the impact of the strikes by isolating Russia from international logistics networks and then focusing attacks on key facilities.
In fact, The Guardian reported that authorities in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula have already declared a state of emergency, with widespread power outages and severe fuel shortages currently underway.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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