In July 2026, the USF conducted two parallel campaigns to isolate occupied Crimea: maritime ("MoLoChKa", jointly with the Ukrainian Navy) and energy ("Crimea blackout"). Detailed breakdown of operation "MoLoChKa" — on the dedicated operation page.
The operation launched on 6 July 2026 in the Sea of Azov with a strike on two rf "shadow fleet" tankers on the Taganrog–occupied Crimea route; that same night the Kerch refinery and two S-400 SAM systems were hit. From 15 July (Day of Ukrainian Statehood) the USF officially expanded the campaign to the Black Sea, striking 20 vessels that day. As of 30.07–01.08.2026 the cumulative tally reached 205–206 shadow-fleet vessels struck since launch. Scope: figures are exclusively per USF claims, not independently verified; do NOT include vessels struck by SBU or other Defense Forces during the same period.
Sources: lb.ua · Kyiv Independent · lb.ua (30.07)
In parallel, the USF conducted a campaign against energy infrastructure supplying occupied Crimea: cumulative tally of struck objects rose from ~44 (as of 07.07) to 164 (as of 29.07) — 330/220/110 kV substations in Kerch, Feodosia, Yevpatoria and the "Kuban–Crimea" hub.
Source: TG 2663
As of 19 July, through joint USF and SBU actions, the Kerch ferry crossing capacity was reduced by 75%: 2 ferries destroyed outright, another 2 lost propulsion and are used as barges. In response, per the USF Commander's statement, rf redeployed up to 200 crews of the "Rubicon" drone unit from the front line to defend the shadow fleet (one crew per vessel), as well as elements of the 51st Air Defense Division and an air-defense missile regiment of the Black Sea Fleet. Throughout the campaign, the USF regularly reported strikes on enemy SAM systems (S-400, Tor, Pantsir) along the coast.
Sources: wz.lviv.ua · censor.net · Kyiv Independent
Since early July 2026, the Unmanned Systems Forces, per statements by the USF Commander, have been conducting a coordinated multi-domain campaign to isolate occupied Crimea — simultaneously targeting energy, fuel supply and logistics. Below are publicly declared results with source references.
According to official statements, during 01–08 July, hit: 44 energy nodes of Crimea and the southern part of temporarily occupied territories. On 8 July — the key electricity reception point of the energy bridge "Kuban–Crimea" (transition point PP-2 "Crimea", four underwater cable lines). The occupation administration acknowledged blackout of South Coast Crimean cities and Simferopol.
Sources: TG 2557 · 2561 · 2568 · 2574
Over 72 hours (6–8 July), according to USF statements, hit: 21 vessels: 19 tankers of Russia's "shadow fleet", 1 dry cargo ship and 1 ferry in the area of Kerch and the Sea of Azov — to cut off fuel supply to occupied Crimea. Pilots of "Kairos" 414th Separate USF Brigade "Madyar's Birds", 413th Regiment "Raid" and 1st USF Operational Center operated.
Sources: TG 2562 · 2566 · 2573
The overland supply corridor to Crimea was declared by occupation forces a target of systematic strikes; according to statements, during the week freight transport (trucks) carrying military materials and fuel was hit.
Source: TG 2571
July tempo (as of 08.07.2026, per official "Pidrakhuyka" board): 2,255 units of manpower and 11,834 targets hit/destroyed. All figures — publicly announced results per official channel of USF Commander; not independently verified.
First recorded strike on oil refining infrastructure targets under Brovdi's command as USF Commander.
Overall in August 2025, 24.2% of Russian oil refining capacity was disabled. Estimated monthly losses: ~$3 billion.
Strike on pipeline infrastructure in the area of Unecha, Bryansk Oblast. After this, Hungary temporarily stopped receiving Russian oil, and later imposed sanctions against Brovdi.
88 targets hit, including:
Strategy: sequential strikes on terminals to create a logistical "bottleneck" in oil exports.
Baltic direction:
Black Sea direction:
Results:
Strike on frigate in the port of Novorossiysk.
579 enemy personnel eliminated per day.
900+ enemy personnel eliminated on the Rodynske–Huliaipole sector (~100 km front).
January–April 2026:
A strike on a refinery or port does not reduce to "explosion". The economic function is broader:
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downtime + repair + rerouting + insurance + export delay + fiscal loss + air defense diversion
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Why oil infrastructure specifically has high ROI:
This means oil infrastructure is both fiscal lifeline and logistical dependency at once. Every port or refinery operates both as export channel and as fuel for the war itself.
According to Reuters and OSW chronology, beyond the previously documented Lukoil-Volgograd (14.08.2025), Druzhba-Unecha (22.08.2025) and Yaroslavl (May 2026):
KSE Institute in the report "Drone Strike Impact Assessment" (April 2026) estimated:
This is not Madyar's assessment—this is independent third-party quantification based on tanker movements and export flows.
Madyar publicly assessed that within the potential strike zone is an export oil flow of strategic scale—approximately 100 million tons of oil per year. Depending on the world price:
In other words, things of strategic scale—tens of billions of dollars per year of export flow, potentially closer to $100 billion under high-price conditions. The "$100 billion" figure should be read as an upper-bound estimate, not as stable actual revenue.
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Two independent indicators of changing war dynamics:
The Guardian (May 2026): in April 2026 Russia had its first net territorial loss since August 2024 —approximately 45 square miles. Over the previous 12 months it was still capturing territory overall, but the tempo is being exhausted.
This does not mean that Madyar's drones alone stopped the front. But the drone system is one of the main factors in reducing the tempo of the Russian offensive, complicating logistics and attrition in personnel and equipment.
The Guardian: for the first time in nearly 20 years the Victory Day parade had no tanks or missiles; fear of Ukrainian strike was cited as the reason.
The signal has several layers:
According to UP citing USF, between December 2025 and April 2026 Russia recruited/mobilized 148,400 people, while confirmed Russian losses from drone strikes by all Defense Forces amounted to 156 735 (negative balance for the first time). According to Janis Kluge (Meduza), Russia recruits approximately 30,000 contractors per month.
Carnegie Endowment notes: the key is not "gross" losses, but irrecoverable losses, which actually remove people from the combat cycle. IISS (via Guardian, February 2026): Russia, despite pressure, is likely able to sustain the invasion throughout 2026, though recruit quality is declining.
Honest formula: Madyar's drone war creates powerful attrition pressure, but one should not forecast a swift military collapse of Russia. More precisely: Russia can still fight, but each month it becomes more expensive, bloodier, and less effective.
Enemy personnel:
Combat sorties:
Targets hit/destroyed (286,000+ / 101,000+):
Periods:
Combat operations on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Start: December 26, 2024
City protection system deployed against enemy drones.
Start: November 10, 2024
Front line strip near occupied Vuhledar.
Period: October 3, 2023 – July 31, 2024
Unit: RUBAK "Madyar's Birds", Naval Infantry Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Results (October 2023 – January 2024):
EW/ECM project (10 months):
Remote mining:
Period: May 28 – July 17, 2024
Mission: Reinforcement of Vovchansk formation and 13th "Khartia" Brigade on Lyptsi direction
Period: July 21, 2024 – April 11, 2026 (ongoing)
Unit: 414th Separate USF Brigade "Madyar's Birds"
Results:
"Pokrovsk Dome" system deployed to protect the city from enemy drones.
Period: June 13 – September 30, 2023 (110 days)
Unit: RUBAK "Madyar's Birds", OTU "Donetsk"
Tasks in support of the 37th, 35th, 38th, 36th separate marine brigades:
Results:
Liberation of the settlements of Urozhaine and Staromaiorske.
Period: March 5 – June 11, 2023
Unit: RUBAK "Madyar's Birds" of the 59th SMB
Areas: Pervomaiske, Avdiivka, Staromykhailivka/Krasnohorivka, Marinka
Tasks:
Period: November 2022 — March 2023
Unit: "Madyar's Birds" of the 251st TB Brigade, OSUV "Khortytsia"
Duration of participation: 110 days
Settlements:
Bakhmut, Soledar, Blahodatne, Krasna Hora, Paraskoviivka, Berkhivka, Opytne, Klishchiivka, Kurdiumivka, Ozarianivka
Tasks:
The Battle of Bakhmut became a proving ground for refining mass drone deployment tactics.
Period: April–August 2022
Unit: 1st Platoon, 2nd Company, 206th Territorial Defense Battalion under 28th Mechanized Brigade
The unit began working with unmanned systems, conducting reconnaissance of the contact line. This is where the concept of "Madyar's Birds" was born.
In August 2022, the first FPV drone was assembled, and a crew training group was formed at a base near Ruska Kosa (7–10 km from the contact line).
Period: March–April 2022
Unit: 206th Battalion, 241st Territorial Defense Brigade
Robert Brovdi's first combat experience was gained during the Russian offensive on Kyiv—one of the decisive operations of the initial period of the war.
Tasks and participation:
The defense of Kyiv ended with the withdrawal of Russian forces in early April 2022.