Partisans struck a Russian pirate ship in the port of Mariupol, which was carrying Ukrainian coal
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Partisans and Ukrainian security forces launched a coordinated attack on the Russian vessel ALFA-01 while it was docked in the port of occupied Mariupol, targeting its illegal transport of Ukrainian coal. The ship entered the port in the evening and came under drone fire between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m., marking the end of its long history as one of the primary vessels used to move resources from the city. Petro Andryushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of Occupations, confirmed the strike via his Telegram channel, noting that the Russian-flagged ship, which had a deadweight of 8,764 tons and was built in 2000, had transported over 20,000 tons of coking coal through Turkey alone during the 2024 to 2025 period.
The operation was executed jointly by the partisan movement, Ukraine's Active Operations Department within the Main Intelligence Directorate, and the Unmanned Systems Forces, with confirmation from both intelligence agencies regarding the volume of coal removed. Andryushchenko expressed gratitude to his partners and specifically thanked the residents of Mariupol for their coordination, stating that without their support, the vessel would have continued to export resources from the occupied territory with impunity. For years, the port has served as a critical hub for Russia to export coal and other goods from the temporarily occupied region to foreign markets, particularly via Turkey, making such attacks a strategic means of pressuring enemy logistics in the Sea of Azov.
Beyond the maritime strike, the transcript highlights a disturbing shift in the occupation administration's approach to Mariupol, where pre-war industrial infrastructure is being replaced by the systematic destruction of historic buildings. Instead of focusing on resource extraction or rebuilding, occupiers are increasingly demolishing structures, with media reports indicating that the historic center is being targeted for what they term "comprehensive territorial development." This includes plans to demolish almost the last complete block of 19th-century buildings in the Zavneviy district, demonstrating a deliberate strategy to transform the city both economically and urbanistically by erasing its historical fabric.
The attack on the ALFA-01 also occurs alongside significant international legal developments regarding Russia's shadow fleet, as the Swedish Supreme Court recently ordered the transfer of the Kaffa, another Russian vessel illegally transporting grain from occupied Sevastopol to Ukraine. This judicial decision establishes a precedent for applying pressure against similar sanctions evasion schemes, reinforcing efforts to disrupt the illicit trade networks supporting the occupation. Together, these actions illustrate a multifaceted Ukrainian strategy that combines direct kinetic operations against logistical targets with diplomatic and legal measures to isolate Russian entities involved in exploiting occupied territories.
Read the full video transcript
Partisans and Ukrainian security forces
attacked the Russian vessel ALFA-01
in the port of occupied Mariupol, which
had been illegally transporting coal
from the city for years. The vessel
entered and moored at the Mariupol port
in the evening, and between 3:00 and
4:00 a.m. it was struck by drones. Petro
Andryushchenko, head of the Center for
the Study of Occupations, reported the
strike on his Telegram channel.
According to him, the vessel ALFA-01
with IMO registration number 904
5601
was Russian-flagged, had a deadweight of
8,764
tons, and was built in 2000 with its
port of registration in Taganrog. The
ALFA-01 has historically been one of the
main vessels used to transport coal from
Mariupol. In 2024 to 2025 alone,
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>> it transported over 20,000 tons of
coking coal via Turkey. This was its
last voyage, wrote Petro Andryushchenko,
director of the Center for the Study of
Occupations. According to
Andryushchenko, the operation was
carried out jointly by the partisan
movement, the Active Operations
Department of the Main Intelligence
Directorate of the Ministry of Defense
of Ukraine, and the Unmanned Systems
Forces. The Main Intelligence
Directorate and the Foreign Intelligence
Service of Ukraine confirmed the volumes
of coal being removed. He thanked his
partners, and especially the residents
of Mariupol, without whose coordination,
he said, the vessel would have continued
to transport resources from the occupied
city with impunity. For years, the port
of occupied Mariupol has remained one of
the key hubs through which Russia
exports coal and other resources from
the temporarily occupied territory to
foreign markets, particularly via
Turkey. According to the partisan
movement, each such vessel contributes
to the occupation's economy, so attacks
on such targets become a means of
exerting pressure on the enemy's
logistics in the Sea of Azov. At the
same time, the occupation administration
is transforming the city itself. Instead
of industrial infrastructure and
resource extraction, they are
increasingly destroying pre-war
buildings. This demonstrates the
occupiers systematic approach to
transforming Mariupol both economically
and in terms of urban development. Media
previously reported that the occupiers
had begun destroying Mariupol's historic
center, identifying the first site for
the so-called comprehensive territorial
development in the Zavneviy district.
The demolition will include almost the
last complete block of 19th century
buildings. Media also reported that the
Swedish Supreme Court ordered the
transfer of the Kaffa, a vessel
belonging to Russia's shadow fleet that
was illegally transporting grain from
occupied Sevastopol to Ukraine. This
decision sets a precedent for pressure
on all similar sanctions evasion
schemes.
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