Ukraine struck eight small fuel tankers in the Azov Sea overnight, Kyiv announced, targeting vessels that had been supplying occupied Crimea. The Financial Times reported all eight ships were hit in the operation.
The BBC said the attacks are part of a broader Ukrainian campaign to cut off supplies moving into and out of Crimea. The goal, the BBC reported, is to sever the supply routes that Russian forces rely on to sustain the occupied peninsula.
The Azov Sea lies to the northeast of Crimea. Ukraine has framed the tanker strikes as the latest phase of its effort to strangle the logistics network keeping Crimea supplied.