Ukrainian drone strikes compel Russia to suspend Azov Sea shipping
Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces carried out drone strikes that prompted Russia's Border Guard Service to suspend commercial navigation through the Kerch Strait and the Don-Azov Canal. The Kyiv Post reported that Russia halted commercial shipping in those waterways after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks, a move that lifted wheat futures. The Guardian added that the attacks forced a suspension of vessel traffic through the Sea of Azov, cutting a key corridor for oil, grain and other exports. According to dw.
com, Ukraine said its drones struck eleven Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov – five tankers, five cargo ships and a tugboat – while Russia's agriculture ministry said it was seeking alternative grain-shipping routes. The New York Times reported that Kyiv claims its long-range drones have hit dozens of Russian ships near Crimea to disrupt supply lines as the war entered its second year. CNN noted that the intensified drone campaign forced Russia to keep vessel traffic suspended, disrupting grain and fuel exports and prompting warnings of economic losses.
