Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The Ukrainian campaign is so effective, that the Russian military is using milk trucks to smuggle fuel.
Since annexing the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, Russia has used it as a key logistical hub, especially since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
But the current situation in Crimea is far from ideal for Russian troops. In fact, Ukraine’s relentless campaign targeting logistics on the peninsula has left it nearly out of fuel, prompting the Russian authorities there to declare a regional state of emergency.
But the situation may be worse than the Kremlin is willing to admit.
The Ukrainian-Crimean resistance group ATESH shared details on July 10 about severe fuel rationing in occupied Crimea and parts of Kherson Oblast.
According to the group, ATESH agents embedded within the Russian Armed Forces in Crimea report that the situation is desperate, with mobile air defense teams brought to a complete standstill.
The sources claim that commanders have imposed strict limits on everyday fuel use. Several units are feeling the strain, including the 1096th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade and mobile teams stationed along major highways.
The information has not been independently verified.
Abandoned in action
Vehicles are being left behind because they cannot move. One ATESH agent described the situation on the ground.
“Fuel is being issued in tiny amounts. You can only start the vehicle if it’s for a combat mission. The rest of the time, the equipment remains idle. If you run out of fuel on the road, you simply abandon the vehicle and run to the nearest trench or village to wait out the drones,” the agent said.
This fuel shortage is leaving expensive equipment stranded. Crews simply walk away. Resistance members documented multiple cases in which vehicles were abandoned between Henichesk and Skadovsk.
The trucks sit in the open, making them easy targets. It does not take long for Ukrainian drones to spot them.
Strategic milk trucks
The leadership is trying to hide the extent of the problem. Even so, the partisan group says these supply failures reveal the true state of Russian military logistics.
To cope, some units are getting creative. Reuters recently reported that Russian forces are hiding fuel inside civilian water and milk tankers. They hope this tactic will fool drone operators searching for supply lines.
The disguise is failing. Ukrainian drone operators now treat these civilian delivery trucks as military targets. This crisis is unfolding as Ukraine enters the third week of a massive 40-day campaign aimed at crippling Russian energy networks.
