During the night operation over the waters of the occupied Mariupol port, explosions and fire were recorded. The First Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov," the Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems Forces, the SBU, and the Special Operations Center "A" confirmed a joint strike on the port's critical infrastructure facilities. One of the results was damage to a dry cargo ship from Russia's shadow fleet.

A vessel without a transponder: how the fleet is hidden

A detail that distinguishes this attack from others: according to the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi (call sign "Madyar"), the occupiers deliberately concealed the movement of ships — painted over vessel names and disabled automatic identification systems (AIS). Vessels without identifiers at sea is standard practice for shadow fleets, documented during attacks on tankers in the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

"The birds of the 1st Unmanned Systems Forces politely visited the dry cargo ships and the tanker. Good optics, heavy hundred-kilogram arguments."

Robert Brovdi, Commander of the Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems Forces

What these vessels carry — and why the port matters

The Mariupol and Berdyansk ports remain key logistics hubs for supplying Russia's southern grouping. According to Ukrainian Wall, shadow fleet vessels were used to transport stolen Ukrainian grain, military cargo, and fuel. Alternative routes — via the Kerch Strait Bridge or by rail — are slower and have repeatedly become targets themselves.

Mariupol port has been attacked before. According to Ukrainian Shipping Magazine, in October 2025, the Defense Forces already struck the same facilities. This operation is a follow-up strike, indicating a systemic rather than situational approach.

Shadow fleet as a target: broader context

Strikes on shadow fleet vessels in the Azov Sea fit into a consistent strategy. In December 2025, the SBU's "Alpha" first attacked a shadow fleet tanker — Qendil — in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea with aerial drones. Earlier, in November, Sea Baby maritime drones struck the tankers Kairos and Virat. Azov dry cargo ships are a less publicized but no less practical link in the same network.

• Shadow fleet — vessels without official registration or with shell owners, allowing Russia to circumvent sanctions on oil and grain exports.
• Disabled AIS complicates target identification, but, as this attack demonstrated, does not prevent strikes.
• Mariupol after occupation processes several million tons of cargo per year — figures that Russia does not disclose.

If Russia is indeed shifting some logistics to overland routes via the Kerch Strait Bridge, it will be next to come under increased attention from Ukrainian drone operators. The question is whether the shadow fleet will manage to find replacements for vessels before the Defense Forces strike the next rotation in the port.