A major catch in the midst of peace negotiations. The Ukrainian special forces announced at the end of last week that it had led an “operation” against a Russian sea port in the Astrakhan region. kyiv notably targeted the Cargo Port Olya-4, specializing in the transport of Shahed Drone parts and Iranian manufacturing ammunition.
“The port and this cargo is used by the Russian aggressor as an important logistics point for the supply of military equipment from Iran,” said the Ukrainian staff in a shared press release on Telegram.
“Weaken Russia’s capacities”
As reported by the specialized sites United24 and Militarnyi, which evoke a “unprecedented loss” for Russia, the extent of the damage is still being evaluated, but videos of the scene shared on social networks show the ship half submerged by waters. “The operation was aimed at weakening Russia’s ability to launch air strikes on Ukrainian territory,” summarizes the staff.
The Cargo Port Olya-4 would have been used many times to transport components of Shahed drones and ammunition from Iran. It is up to the Russian maritime transport company MG-Flot LLC, formerly Transmorflot LLC, sanctioned in September 2024 by the United States.
The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces and other AFU units “struck” the Caspian Sea port of Olya sinking the general cargo ship, “Port Olya 4.” The ship was reportedly carrying components for Shaheds and ammunition from Iran. Imagery of the sunken vessel shows extensive fire… pic.twitter.com/g1lTIkmOpF
— OSINT Intuit 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 🇬🇪 (@UKikaski) August 15, 2025
According to the Ukrainian defense intelligence, MG-Flot LLC, linked to the Russian businessman Jamaldin Pashayev, was an essential hub of the “North-South” transport corridor intended for trade with Iran. The company would be part of the Alabuga JSC supply chain, which manufactures Shahed drones, also under sanctions.
Located in the district of Limansky of Astrakhan, the ship was moored at its original port Olya, in the Delta de la Volga, which flows into the Caspian Sea. Ukrainian forces have not revealed the exact weapons or methods used during the attack. The governor of the Astrakhan region, Igor Babushkin, said that the damage had been caused by “fragments of drones, which were all slaughtered”.
