Ukraine said Saturday its long-range drones destroyed 12 Russian “shadow fleet” oil tankers in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov over the past week, escalating its campaign against vessels helping Moscow evade sanctions and export oil.
The strikes came as Russia launched a massive overnight barrage of drones and ballistic missiles on Kyiv and the surrounding region, killing four people – including a 3-year-old boy – and wounding at least eight others, according to Ukrainian officials.
The successful strikes are part of Operation Molochka, which kicked off July 6, and is responsible for 218 strikes on the Russian shadow fleet, including 134 in the Sea of Azov and 84 in the Black Sea, the Kyiv Independent reported citing officials.
Russia’s shadow fleet consists of hundreds of vessels flying flags from other countries to avoid detection as the Kremlin exports oil.
The announcement came on the heels of tragedy in Kyiv and the surrounding area after Russia launched a successful overnight drone attack on the capital, killing four and injuring eight others.
Three of the people killed included the unidentified boy, his grandmother, and grandfather, who were slain in the village of Pukhiva outside of Kyiv, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The child’s parents and his 15-year-old brother were among the wounded, according to the Independent.
“The victims have thermal burns and shrapnel wounds,” Zelensky wrote in a post to Facebook Saturday.
Inside Kyiv, fires broke out in two separate garages and a commercial building, after Russia sent a swarm of drones and at least six ballistic missiles, according to Zelensky.
Photos showed buildings and homes completely bombed out and blazing from the overnight attacks.
Russia utilized both drones and ballistic missiles in the assault, the outlet reported.
“Europe, America, and Ukraine have long wanted to stop this Russian war. Only Putin with all his might is clinging to his ballistic missiles and drones to continue fighting,” Zelensky wrote on Facebook.
He then pleaded for new sanctions to stop the production of ballistic missiles and “protection for our people” in the form of anti-ballistic missile-interceptors.
The 48-year-old former comedian is not leaving diplomacy only to social media.
Zelensky was in Belgrade on Saturday, meeting with Serbian officials who declared their support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
“I held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Serbia, Duro Macut. I discussed the consequences of Russian missile and drone strikes, including the latest massive attack tonight,” Zelensky said..
“We thoroughly discussed our joint economic and logistics projects: the development of the Danube Corridor and strengthening ties between Ukraine, the Western Balkans, and the European Union,” he wrote.
Serbia dedicated just over $2 million to help support Ukraine’s beleaguered energy sector.
