Ukrainian drone campaign turns Russian logistics route into 'highway of death'
Ukraine intensifies drone attacks on Russian supply lines in occupied territories, slashing military traffic by 71% and causing fuel shortages in Crimea.
The Russian supply route known as the "Novorossiya" highway has become a killing ground for Ukrainian drones. The R-280 road, which snakes through occupied Ukrainian territories along the Sea of Azov coast, linking Rostov-on-Don with Melitopol, Mariupol and Crimea, is now dominated by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.
Since late May, the road has been almost completely closed to civilian traffic. Ukrainian drone operators, including those from the 412th "Nemesis" brigade, report destroying dozens of trucks and fuel tankers as part of an intensified "middle strike campaign" targeting Russian logistics 20 to 200 kilometers behind the front line.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in May that such strikes had quadrupled since February. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov elaborated that the goal is a "logistics lockdown" and that additional funds and drones are being funneled to the most effective units.
The impact is measurable: on Tuesday, Commander Robert Brovdi of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces stated that military cargo traffic along the highway had fallen by 71% over the past two weeks. Traffic on the Chonhar Bridge, a key section connecting occupied Kherson province to Crimea, was suspended after a series of drone strikes.
The attacks heavily feature US-produced Hornet drones, equipped with AI to identify truck traffic, with a range of about 150 km. Ukrainian forces also utilize a domestically produced fixed-wing drone, the Morrigan, which can be launched from a slingshot or rail, eliminating the need for a road or airfield.
One immediate effect has been fuel shortages in Crimea. Russian occupation officials, such as Vladimir Saldo, have imposed restrictions on civilian truck movements on the R-280. Saldo compared the strikes to the siege of Leningrad, calling them "cynical barbarism."
Independent analysts, including the US-based Institute for the Study of War, note that Ukrainian intermediate-range strikes are already degrading Russia's ability to use key supply lines, hindering operations in the south.
