Russian Overnight Attacks Kill 11 in Ukraine as Kyiv Targets Russia’s Shadow Fleet

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 11 people and injured 96 others overnight between September 11 and 12, according to Ukrainian officials. The strikes hit multiple regions, with the Odesa region suffering the most damage. At the same time, Ukraine continued its operation against Russia's "shadow fleet" — a group of ships used to transport Russian oil in order to avoid international sanctions.

Russia's Overnight Attack

Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia used 129 drones of various types, along with Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, eight Kalibr cruise missiles, and six guided Kh-59/69 missiles. Around half of the drones were fitted with jet engines. Ukraine's air defences destroyed or disrupted 110 aerial targets, including six Kalibr missiles, two Kh-59/69 missiles, one S-8000 Banderol cruise missile, and 101 unmanned aerial vehicles .

Odesa Region Hit Hardest

One of the main targets was the city of Odesa. At around 5:30 a.m., Ukraine's Air Force warned that Russian cruise missiles were heading toward the city from over the Black Sea. A multi-storey residential building was damaged in the strike . At least 35 people were injured in the Odesa region, including a five-month-old baby and a 17-year-old. Some victims required hospitalisation .

Attacks Across Multiple Regions

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian forces attacked the city of Dnipro with drones, artillery, and air-dropped bombs. An industrial facility, residential buildings, garages, and vehicles were damaged. Two people were killed and at least 22 were wounded in the region, including a child .

In the Donetsk region, four people were killed and five were wounded. Two people died in Sloviansk, one in Kramatorsk, and another in Yasnohirka . In the Kyiv region, one person was killed and three were injured, including a child. Russian attack drones struck five districts, damaging 15 facilities, including seven houses, vehicles, warehouses, hangars, and a power line .

In the Kharkiv region, a 32-year-old man was killed and a 19-year-old man was wounded. In the Kherson region, 18 people were wounded. Attacks targeted residential areas as well as critical and social infrastructure .

Ukraine Strikes Russia's 'Shadow Fleet'

While Russia was carrying out its overnight bombardment, Ukrainian forces continued operations aimed at Russia's economic backbone. On September 12, Robert "Brovdi" Browdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, announced further attacks on Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" .

According to Browdi, since the operation — called "MoLoChKa" — began around ten weeks earlier, Ukrainian forces have attacked a total of 285 vessels belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet" operating in the Azov and Black Seas. The highest number of attacks was recorded in July, with 215 vessels struck. In August, a further 54 vessels were hit, and between September 1 and 11, another 16 were attacked .

Browdi claims that the Ukrainian strikes have almost brought traffic by Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait to a halt. He says the operation has also seriously impeded its activity in the northern and north-eastern parts of the Black Sea .

Browdi stressed that revenues from Russian oil exports are one of the sources of funding for the war against Ukraine. Attacks on vessels involved in transporting Russian oil are therefore intended as part of broader efforts to limit Moscow's financial capabilities .

Ukraine Strikes Russian Plant

Ukraine's defence forces also confirmed that during the night of September 11 to 12, they carried out a strike on the Tolyattikauchuk plant in Russia's Samara region. The factory supplies products used by the Russian military-industrial complex. The attack sparked a fire on the plant's premises. "The scale of the damage is still being assessed," Ukraine's General Staff said .

The plant produces synthetic rubber, monomers, fractions, and additives for high-octane fuels. The Ukrainian military stresses that synthetic rubber is used in the production of solid fuel for short-range missiles and ballistic rockets .