Ukraine turns key Crimean waterway into Russia's own Strait of Hormuz after relentless strikes on shadow fleet - as 200th ship is hit in three weeks

Published: 15:50, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 15:50, 28 July 2026 Ukraine has turned the Kerch Strait into Russia’s own Strait of Hormuz - hunting ships around the crucial maritime bottleneck as its official July tally of vessels struck soared beyond 200. Dramatic new footage shows five damaged ships in and around the Black Sea and Sea of Azov - one being hit, another engulfed in flames, two apparently abandoned and a fifth being dragged away by tugboats. Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said on Tuesday that its drones had now struck 201 Russian shadow-fleet and associated vessels since Operation MoLoChKa was launched on July 6. The new total emerged on the day President Volodymyr Zelensky was meeting Donald Trump at the White House seeking stronger American military support and tougher pressure on Vladimir Putin. One extraordinary video records the terrifying moment a low-flying Ukrainian drone slams into the Belize-flagged bulk carrier New Victory as it heads towards the Russian port of Taman. The footage, understood to have been recorded by a member of the crew, shows the drone closing on the ship before striking it. The attack was on 24 July but the video has only now emerged. The 29-year-old cargo vessel - built in Japan in 1997 - is 556ft long and can carry more than 26,500 tonnes. Dramatic new footage shows five damaged ships in and around the Black Sea and Sea of Azov - one being hit, another engulfed in flames, two apparently abandoned and a fifth being dragged away by tugboats Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said on Tuesday that its drones had now struck 201 Russian shadow-fleet and associated vessels since Operation MoLoCHKa was launched on July 6 The new total emerged on the day President Volodymyr Zelensky was meeting Donald Trump at the White House seeking stronger American military support and tougher pressure on Vladimir Putin A second video, reportedly filmed by foreign sailors aboard another ship, shows an unidentified Russian-linked vessel engulfed in flames in the waters between the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. This also highlights the aftermath of further Ukrainian attacks. Two apparently abandoned vessels - one with a green hull and another painted red - bear conspicuous signs of blast and fire damage. Smoke can still be seen hanging over the red-hulled ship, while no crew members are visible aboard either vessel. The same footage filmed by foreign sailors shows a badly scorched bulk carrier being towed towards safety by two tugboats. Its name is too blurred to establish conclusively, although lettering on its hull appears to begin 'Volgo-Balt'. The scenes offer a striking picture of the danger now confronting shipping around the Kerch Strait - the narrow gateway connecting the Sea of Azov with the Black Sea. The channel is strategically vital to Moscow, carrying oil, fuel, grain and other cargo between Russian ports while supporting occupied Crimea and Putin’s forces in southern Ukraine. It is being likened to the Strait of Hormuz, the Middle Eastern chokepoint blockaded by Iran through which a substantial share of the world’s oil passes. Kerch does not possess Hormuz’s global economic importance, but it is vital to lessening Putin’s grip on annexed Crimea. Ukraine’s unprecedented maritime offensive has targeted tankers, bulk carriers, ferries, gas carriers, tugboats and floating cranes in the two seas. The 201 figure denotes vessels struck - not ships confirmed sunk or completely destroyed. Damage includes catastrophic fires leaving vessels disabled or requiring rescue. The campaign has forced Russia to divert air-defence assets and specialist drone units to protect its maritime supply routes while disrupting traffic through the Kerch Strait and Don–Azov shipping system. Russia has branded attacks on merchant vessels 'terrorism', while international maritime authorities have warned that the expanding campaign places civilian seafarers at risk and could cause major oil spills. Ukraine insists that ships carrying Russian fuel, sanctioned exports or supplies used by Moscow’s occupation forces form an essential part of the Kremlin’s war economy.