Key facts
- Ukraine's Azov Regiment, a rebuilt unit that previously surrendered Mariupol, is now conducting drone strikes on Russian military logistics.
- Recent operations targeted electrical substations and a ship at Mariupol's seaport, causing a blackout.
- The strikes are part of a wider Ukrainian campaign to disrupt Russian supply lines deep behind the front.
- Azov's chief of staff indicated that more such operations are planned.
- The unit is utilizing modified AI-assisted Hornet drones with expanded range.
- The Azov Regiment has grown into a corps with tens of thousands of troops and is noted for its drone warfare capabilities.
Four years after its fighters surrendered the last of Mariupol to Russian forces, Ukraine's Azov Regiment has rebuilt and is now targeting Russian military logistics in and around the occupied city. The unit, which suffered heavy losses in the 2022 siege, is focusing on operations aimed at disrupting supply lines and weakening Moscow's war effort.
Last week, drones belonging to First Corps Azov struck electrical substations, repair facilities, and a sanctioned ship at Mariupol's strategic seaport, plunging the port into a blackout. This operation, confirmed by Reuters through video footage, is part of Ukraine's expanding campaign to strike deep behind front lines.
Col. Arsen Dmytryk, chief of staff for First Corps Azov, told Reuters that dozens more such operations are planned to demonstrate the unit's capabilities. He acknowledged that driving Russia out of Mariupol, located 120 km behind the front lines, is a "long game" that could take years, but expressed confidence in eventual recapture.
The port strike followed months of attacks on critical roadways in Russian-occupied Donetsk, including Mariupol, aimed at disrupting Russian supply lines. Footage posted by the corps shows drone operations targeting army vehicles and surveying central Mariupol and the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works.
Within Ukraine's "middle strike" campaign, Azov's primary objective is to choke enemy cargo, particularly fuel, moving through key nodes like Mariupol and Donetsk. The routes under attack include the M14 linking Mariupol with Rostov, the H20 heading north to Donetsk, and a ring road around Donetsk. Ukraine's military is also increasing strikes on the "land bridge" connecting Russia with Crimea.
Franz-Stefan Gady, an expert with the Center for a New American Security, described Azov's strikes as "cumulative rather than decisive," forcing Russia to use longer detours and more night driving, which degrades its offensive tempo. Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, noted that these mid-range strikes could "test the conditions" for Ukraine to eventually go on the offensive.
One of Azov's key weapons is the AI-assisted Hornet drone, produced by Eric Schmidt's firm Perennial Autonomy. Operators have modified it with Starlink terminals to extend its range beyond 100 km. Dmytryk stated that accelerating an end to the fighting is a key objective, hoping it would lead to the release of over 700 Azov fighters from Russian prisons.
Today's Azov Regiment, formally under the National Guard, is a significantly larger and more advanced force than its 2014 or 2022 iterations. It has expanded to a corps containing six brigades, a drone regiment, and a special-purposes unit, totaling tens of thousands of troops. It is considered one of Ukraine's most advanced formations in drone warfare.