Ukrainian robot aircraft, overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, hit and set afire a column of Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Azov Sea, leaving at least one vessel adrift and forcing the crew of the vessel to abandon ship. A statement published by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) claimed “more than nine” Russian tankers had been hit by drone swarms operating above the Kerch Strait that separates Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula from the Russian mainland. Authorities credited three elite drone squadrons for carrying out the operation.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. On the Russian side, Rostov Region Governor Yury Slyusar acknowledged that two tankers traveling to the port of Rostov without cargo had been struck by drones. He reported on Wednesday that two sailors were injured, one of whom required hospital treatment. “It was found necessary to evacuate the crew of one of the ships,” Slyusar said, adding that Russian air defenses had allegedly shot down seven Ukrainian drones. Ukraine’s General Staff echoed the USF report and identified the participating units as the 1st Separate Center, 413th Regiment “Raid,” “Kairos” Battalion, and 414th Brigade “Ptakhi Madyara.” According to Ukrainian military sources, drone forces have damaged 21 civilian vessels operating between occupied Crimea and mainland Russia since Monday. The reported tally includes 19 shadow fleet tankers, 1 dry cargo ship, and 1 automobile ferry.