Ukrainian drones slash Kerch ferry crossing capacity by 75%, as daily strikes continue on Russian vessels and occupation energy infrastructure

Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces claimed they struck 13 power substations in occupied Crimea and other Russian-held territory overnight while further degrading Russia's Kerch ferry crossing, with drone forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi saying the operation has now reduced the crossing's transport capacity by about 75%.

Brovdi said that Ukraine’s drone operations in July so far have hit 176 Russian “shadow fleet” vessels and 96 energy infrastructure sites.

Operation "Crimean Switch Off" targets occupied energy infrastructure

In a statement on 19 July, Brovdi said Ukrainian drone units carried out overnight strikes as part of Operation "Crimean Switch Off," an ongoing campaign targeting electricity infrastructure supporting Russia's occupation authorities.

According to Brovdi, Ukrainian drones struck 13 electrical substations and energy hubs overnight, including eight in occupied Crimea and five elsewhere in Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts.

He said the targets included substations in Kerch, Yalta, Sudak, Staryi Krym, Koktebel, Berdiansk, and other occupied settlements, disrupting electricity infrastructure across occupied territory.

According to Brovdi, Ukrainian drone units struck 59 targets deep behind Russian lines during the night.

Kerch ferry crossing capacity cut by 75%

In a separate statement, Brovdi said Operation "MoLoCHKa" had further degraded Russia's Kerch ferry crossing, one of the country's main logistics links between mainland Russia and occupied Crimea.

He also claimed Ukrainian drones struck four vessels supporting Russian maritime logistics in the Black Sea overnight, including two tankers, a cargo ship, and a floating crane.

Brovdi said the ferry crossing had been served by five ferries before the campaign. According to his assessment, two have been destroyed, two others have been damaged so severely they can no longer operate under their own power, and only one remains fully operational.

Based on that assessment, he estimated the crossing now retains only 25% of its previous transport capacity, significantly reducing Russia's ability to move vehicles and cargo across the Kerch Strait.

He also claimed a replacement vessel is being prepared in Russia's Astrakhan region to reinforce the crossing.

Part of Ukraine's campaign against Russian logistics

The Kerch ferry crossing is one of Russia's major logistics links between mainland Russia and occupied Crimea, transporting vehicles, cargo, and military supplies across the Kerch Strait. Disrupting the crossing could complicate Russia's ability to move equipment and sustain forces based in occupied Crimea and southern Ukraine.

Brovdi said operations against both the ferry crossing and occupied Crimea's energy infrastructure would continue indefinitely.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian military logistics far behind the front lines, including ports, rail infrastructure, fuel depots, airfields, and energy facilities that support Moscow's war effort. Kyiv says the strikes are intended to reduce Russia's ability to sustain combat operations and force it to divert resources to defending critical infrastructure.