Partisans within Russia tip-off Ukraine that Putin is arming up his sanctions-buster fleet with soldiers after losing catastrophically against Kyiv’s deep strike drone and missile operations
Pro-Ukraine partisans inside Russia have claimed Kremlin war chiefs plan to arm their “shadow fleet” ships with anti-air attack troops to stop them being attacked.
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) have struck 147 Russian ships operating in the Black and Azov Seas between July 6 and July 16. Another six were hit last night.
Now agents from the “Atesh” who are helping Ukraine say Russia will put at least three anti-missile soldiers aboard the sanctions-buster vessels. The escalation also follows an armed British Royal Marine seizure of the Russian Smyrtos shadow vessel in the English Channel last month. And troops aboard the sanctions buster boats could mean future operations could become more hazardous for elite forces if they attempt to board them.
The Atesh issued a statement saying: “The reason for the command’s panic is obvious. In just 10 days, Ukraine’s Defense Forces imposed ‘physical sanctions’ on more than 136 Russian tankers operating illegally in Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone.” Now the “Atesh” Ukraine loyalists says Russia plans to deploy personnel from the Rubicon UAV Center, the 51st Air Defense Division, and the 1096th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment.
Each tanker is expected to carry up to three servicemen equipped with twin machine guns, portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), and anti-drone weapons. The switch-up happened as Ukraine begins to turn the tables on Russian forces, hitting their logistics chains to the front line with repeated drone attacks. Dozens of oil and gas installations throughout Russia have also been hit in repeated ‘deep strike’ missile attacks up to 1,000 miles across the border.
The attacks have removed hundreds of millions of pounds of revenue from Kremlin coffers and severely battered Russian President Vladimir Putin ’s ability to pay for his war. But Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is also under pressure after angering supporters of popular defence minister Mykhailo Federov by sacking him. Protests from MPs and Federov supporters have broken out in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities throughout the country as people brandished placards screaming “hands off Federov,’ and “stop sabotaging victory.’
It is widely believed that Federov has been behind many of Ukraine’s military successes but that Mr Zelensky fears Federov had fallen out with one of his key aides. Fedorov, 35, was appointed only in January but has been credited with energising the ministry, heading a drive against corruption and using data to analyse and try to improve performance on the front line.
He has put forward the name of Maj-Gen Yevhenii Khmara, the acting head of the Security Service (SBU), as acting defence minister. Zelensky said: “Khmara has gained extensive and, in many respects, unprecedented experience with technological combat operations.” Initial rumours that the end of Fedorov’s tenure was related to tensions between him and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi were all but confirmed by Fedorov himself and Zelensky.
