Ukraine Pounds Russian Ships in Its Campaign to Cut Off Crimea
After striking roads and railways, Kyiv is now focusing on sea routes as it tries to disrupt fuel supplies and pressure Russia to end the war. A screenshot taken from footage provided by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces showed a drone flying toward a ship at port in the city of Kerch in Crimea in early July. Credit... Commander of Unmanned Aerial Systems Force, via Reuters By Nataliya Vasilyeva , Marc Santora and Cassandra Vinograd Marc Santora and Cassandra Vinograd reported from Kyiv Article appeared in The New York Times , on July 16, 2026 Ukraine has opened another front in its intensifying blockade of Crimea, striking growing numbers of Russian vessels in the waters near the occupied peninsula as it tries to heap pressure on the Kremlin to end the war. Kyiv is using its expanding arsenal of long-range drones to mount its largest campaign in the Sea of Azov since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Advances in technology have only recently brought the sea, which is surro...