Ukraine War: Azov Shipping Halted, Zelenskyy Defends Fedorov Sacking Amid Protests, Sheffield Steel Shipped

Ukraine's drone campaign has shut down Russian shipping in the Sea of Azov while Zelenskyy overhauls his government and military command.

Ukrainian drone strikes have forced Russia to suspend shipping across the Sea of Azov after roughly 90 vessels — including shadow fleet oil tankers — were attacked in less than a week, closing a maritime corridor vital to Russian logistics and trade. The campaign is part of a broader Ukrainian push to strike Russian economic and military capacity. Zelenskyy has created a new 'long-range impact' command dedicated entirely to hitting Russia's energy sector, with officials saying its focus will be '100%' on degrading Moscow's ability to fund and wage the war. On the home front, Zelenskyy has carried out a significant and controversial government reshuffle. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stepped down — reportedly to take up a role as Ukraine's ambassador to the United States. More controversially, Zelenskyy dismissed defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was widely regarded as popular and credited with transforming the ministry during his six months in post. The sacking triggered street protests in both Kyiv and Lviv, with Zelenskyy defending the decision by saying he had to choose 'one side or the other' after relations between the ministry and military leaders broke down. The dismissal also overshadowed a visit to Ukraine by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Zelenskyy has also signalled a broader law enforcement overhaul is coming. The war's humanitarian toll continued. A Russian strike on the outskirts of Kyiv killed 10 people after secondary explosions from weapons stored in a civilian area devastated a residential neighbourhood. Zelenskyy publicly condemned the storage of munitions near homes. Separately, Ukraine has spotlighted allegations of hundreds of prisoner-of-war executions by Russian forces. On the international stage, Britain has begun shipping artillery barrels made from Sheffield steel to Ukraine to help sustain Kyiv's gun batteries. Russia has been forced to seek gasoline imports from India as economic pressure mounts, and Moscow has warned that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine under a proposed 'coalition of the willing' peacekeeping force would be treated as legitimate military targets.

Why it matters

The closure of the Sea of Azov to Russian shipping represents a significant tactical and economic blow, threatening oil exports and resupply routes that Russia depends on. The government reshuffle and new long-range strike command signal Kyiv is reorganising for a prolonged campaign even as ceasefire talks remain unresolved.

What's next

Watch for further developments in ceasefire diplomacy and whether the 'coalition of the willing' nations follow through on troop commitments despite Moscow's warnings.

Key facts

Bias & framing notes

All eight sources are from The Guardian, providing no independent corroboration from separate outlets. Within that single source, coverage is strongly sympathetic to Ukraine's perspective — Russian statements (such as Moscow's PoW denial or its targeting warnings) are reported but not given equivalent depth. The framing of Russia's gasoline imports from India as a 'crisis' and the description of the Sheffield steel shipment as a positive development reflect an editorial lean. The absence of Russian official sourcing on several claims limits verification.

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