Attacks on enemy ships show that drone operations are increasingly major component of modern naval warfare and can be turned against the weakest links of Russia's sea supply lanes, according to British intelligence.

"On August 4, 2023, the Russian merchant tanker (MT) Sig was attacked and disabled near the Kerch Strait, apparently by an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV). This came a day after a similar attack on the Olenegorsky Gornyak landing ship, and two days after an apparently foiled attack on Russian patrol boats while they were likely escorting the Russian merchant vessel (MV) Sparta IV," the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland said on Twitter on Wednesday morning.

It is noted that although civilian-flagged, MT Sig and MV Sparta IV have long been contracted to ship fuel and military supplies between Russia and Syria. Due to the fact that Since 28 February 2022, Russian military ships have not been able to pass through the Bosphorus, leaving Russian military forces in Syria and the Mediterranean heavily dependent upon Sig, Sparta IV, and a handful of other civilian vessels.