Operation 'MoLoChKa' Cripples Kerch Ferry: Capacity Plunges 75% as Four Vessels Are Lost.

Kerch Ferry Crisis Deepens

According to Espreso.tv: A Ukrainian operation codenamed "MoLoChKa" has severely degraded the Kerch Strait ferry service, slashing its operational capacity by 75%. The strike put four key vessels out of action: the "Laurentiy," "Panagia," "Yeysk," and "Mariya." The "Yeysk" sustained damage on July 12 and 13, while the "Mariya" came under repeated shelling throughout July. Both the "Laurentiy" and "Panagia" lost their ability to move under their own power. According to Robert Madyar, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, each ferry can carry between 8 and 15 vehicles, depending on size and weight.

Before the operation, roughly 80% of all traffic across the crossing was linked to Russia's Ministry of Defense. The four operational ferries together moved between 180 and 250 vehicles per day. This disruption is expected to significantly hinder Russian military logistics in the region, as the ferry route had been a vital supply corridor.

Ongoing Combat and Aggression

As of 4:00 PM on July 19, Russian forces had launched 60 separate attacks on Ukrainian defensive positions. Artillery strikes hit border areas in the Sumy region, targeting the following settlements:

• Tovstodubove
• Neskuchne
• Hirky
• Ryzhivka
• Volfyne
• Pustohorod
• Buniakyne
• Sukhodil
• Ulanove
• Chuikivka
• Khodyne
• Bachivsk
• Iskryskivshchyna
• Korenok
• Luzhky

In the Chernihiv region, the villages of Kliusy, Dibrova, and Bohdanove also came under fire.

Fighting continues on the North-Slobozhanskyi and Kursk axes, where 25 shelling incidents were recorded. On the South-Slobozhanskyi front, Russian forces attempted seven breakthroughs. Ukrainian troops repelled six enemy advances on the Lyman axis. In the Sloviansk direction, 14 assaults were noted; near Kramatorsk, one attack occurred in the Nykyforivka area. Defenders on the Kostiantynivka front beat back seven assaults. On the Pokrovsk axis, occupiers tried 15 times to push Ukrainian forces back, and seven attacks were launched on the Huliaipole front. A single assault was attempted on the Orikhiv direction. No offensive actions were reported on the Kupiansk, Prydniprovsk, or Oleksandrivsk axes.

Notably, fighters from the SBU's Alpha Special Operations Center neutralized over 50,000 Russian occupiers in the first half of 2026. The situation remains volatile, and Ukrainian forces continue to actively repel enemy attacks.

The reduced capacity of the Kerch ferry service could have a major impact on Russian military logistics in the region, as this crossing was a critical supply route. Such losses may weaken the aggressor's positions and reduce the effectiveness of their frontline operations. At the same time, the intense combat across multiple fronts underscores the conflict's ongoing nature and the urgent need to support Ukrainian forces in repelling these assaults. Monitoring further developments on the front lines will be essential, as they could shape the broader trajectory of the war.