Military — 2026-07-20

Ukrainian Drone Strikes Cut Kerch Strait Ferry Capacity 75 Percent in Two-Week Operation MoLoCHKa

BLUFOperation Molochka's destruction of three ferries forces Russia onto the already strained Kerch bridge and land corridor, with restoration to half capacity unlikely by August 19 on current evidence.

Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said on social media that a strike campaign from July 6 to July 19, Operation Molochka, has cut the Kerch ferry crossing's capacity by about 75 percent 1234. He said strikes left the ferries Yeisk, Maria and SKS One beyond repair and reduced Lavrentiy and Panagia to towed barges, disabling three of the crossing's five vessels 134. Before the strikes the ferries carried 180 to 250 vehicles daily between the Kavkaz and Crimea ports, about 80 percent of it for the Russian military, according to Brovdi 13. Euromaidan Press separately cited Brovdi describing two ferries destroyed, two disabled and one still operational, putting capacity at about 25 percent, with a replacement vessel being prepared in Russia's Astrakhan region 2.

Analysis
Disabling three of five ferries strips Russia's Kerch crossing of the redundancy needed to absorb repeat strikes, pushing more Ministry of Defense cargo onto the Kerch bridge and the Mariupol-Melitopol land corridor already carrying combined military and civilian freight. Restoring crossing capacity to at least half its pre-strike level is unlikely within the next four weeks, by August 19, absent a confirmed replacement hull. The Astrakhan vessel Brovdi cites remains unconfirmed as operational, and the two immobilized ferries now under tow present slow, exposed targets for continued strikes. That judgment carries low confidence, reflecting dependence on the striking commander's self-reported battle damage assessment rather than independently verified vessel status.

5 sources

Ukraine reduces Russia ferry crossing capacity in Kerch by 75% - Ukrainska Pravda
Ukrainian drones slash Kerch ferry crossing capacity by 75%, as daily strikes continue on Russian vessels and occupation energy infrastructure - Euromaidan Press
Kerch Ferry Loses 75% of Capacity in Two Weeks - Militarnyi
Ukraine's USF disable three of five ferries serving Kerch crossing - Ukrinform
Facebook post detailing Operation MoLoCHKa results against the Kerch ferry crossing - Robert "Madyar" Brovdi (commander, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces) via Facebook