Ukraine destroys 49 of Russia’s shadow fleet ships in crippling strikes | News World

Ukrainian strikes have crippled the shadow fleet and oil depots in Russia(Picture: east2west)

Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet was rocked by 14 recent attacks today because the chaos at Russia’s petrol stations deepens. 

This brings the full to 49 the vessels lost this week – just about all of them oil tankers supplying fuel to Crimea and other Ukrainian territory annexed by the Kremlin. 

The crisis is now ‘catastrophic,’ with the Kremlin scrambling to cover the implications, one report warned. 

In additional bad news for Vladimir Putin, Ukraine also staged crippling overnight strikes on Taganrog port, triggering an inferno on the Kurgannefteprodukt oil depot and an emergency evacuation of residents. 

Meanwhile, queues for petrol are growing and costs escalating, even in faraway Siberia, as Putin refuses to halt the war or quit his aim of grabbing your entire Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. 

PORTLAND, ENGLAND - JUNE 15: A military ship patrols the detained Smyrtos vessel outside the harbour, on June 15, 2026 in Portland, England. An oil tanker operating as part of Russia's shadow fleet has been intercepted by British Forces in the English Channel. In the early hours of Sunday morning Royal Marine Commandos and members of the National Crime Agency boarded the Smyrtos vessel, which is sailing under the flag of Cameroon. The operation is the first time the UK has intercepted a sanctioned Russian tanker, as part of efforts to disrupt Russia's funding of its war in Ukraine. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
Putin’s shadow fleet helps transport sanctioned oil (Picture: Getty)

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Independent Russian news outlet Meduza analysed oil trading data and concluded: ‘The situation with fuel after the Ukrainian drone attacks appears to be simply catastrophic.

‘The authorities try to maintain information concerning the extent of the damage to Russian oil refineries secret. 

‘Under these circumstances, the fuel shortage could be not directly assessed, for instance, by analysing exchange trading data. We have now studied this data. The image resembles a collapse.’

Even before the most recent strikes, the quantity of trading fell to 53% of the January level, while the worth rose to 146%.

Footage also highlighted Ukrainian kamikaze drones targeting military trucks full of Russian occupiers within the rear areas of the Luhansk region.

Russia, the world’s second-largest oil producer, is now searching for to import supplies attributable to the carnage brought on by Ukrainian drones

Russia also faces damage to its harvest, with grain lost attributable to chronic diesel shortages. 

‘The 2026 harvest season is popping right into a nightmare for Russian farmers, who’re facing a shortage of diesel fuel, restrictions on its sale, and rising prices,’ the Moscow Times reported.

‘The shortage of diesel fuel for mix harvesters and other equipment is especially acute in key southern regions.’

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