Ukraine sinks 19 tankers in Azov Sea while celebrating Statehood Day.

Ukraine intensified its assault on Russia's shadow fleet last night by striking nineteen additional tankers in the Azov Sea. Over the past ten days, these fuel carriers have been systematically obliterated using sea drones, catching Russian forces off guard. The offensive included attacks on seventeen oil tankers and two gas tankers while Ukraine celebrated Statehood Day to counter Kremlin narratives about its history.

Since last week began, Ukrainian forces claim they have sunk up to 136 vessels, severely disrupting Moscow's ability to supply the annexed region of Crimea. Visual evidence shows a burning tanker earlier in the Sea of Azov and significant damage sustained by the dry cargo vessel Chelsea-6. This aggression follows the destruction of the Izumrud patrol ship just twenty days ago, yet Russian forces retaliated with massive strikes against Ukrainian port facilities.

The Kremlin's response has been brutal, targeting fuel storage tanks and drone production sites in Odesa and Chornomorsk. At least three people died in missile and drone attacks on Odesa alone, while four naval vessels delivering cargo for the Ukrainian Armed Forces were also hit. A huge fire raged at Pivdennyi port, and Russian sources admitted hitting two civilian vessels under Tanzanian and Liberian flags, killing one captain. Another ship flying the Marshall Islands flag suffered hits that killed two crew members.

Simultaneously, fires erupted in Mykolaiv region after dry cargo ships were struck near Dnipro-Bug ports. President Gitanas Nauseda of Lithuania warned that intelligence services have detected signals indicating planned Russian attacks on critical infrastructure. He noted that while specific locations and times remain unknown, the adversary is still finalizing plans to physically damage energy and transport sites.

Consequently, security around these facilities has been tightened as a precaution against potential sabotage. Lithuania, a NATO member bordering Kaliningrad and Belarus, has already tripled its defense spending since 2022 in response to the invasion. Neighboring Poland echoed these concerns earlier this month, citing Western intelligence warnings about risks to their own territories and Baltic states. Moscow continues to deny accusations of planning such sabotage, dismissing reports as part of an anti-Russian propaganda campaign aimed at destabilizing regional security.