Black Sea Drone War Reaches an American Fuel Pump as Indiana Declares an Energy Emergency

Indiana Governor Mike Braun declared a new statewide energy emergency and extended the suspension of the state's gasoline usage and excise taxes through September 5. His office attributed the measure to disruption of global oil shipping lanes in the Black Sea and Kerch Strait as the Russia-Ukraine conflict moved into maritime drone warfare, and to supply losses from wildfires in the Alberta oil sands region. Russian state broadcaster RT reported the declaration as a United States state formally citing the drone war as the cause.

The maritime campaign has escalated in both directions. Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two vessels in the Black Sea that it described as operating in Ukraine's interests. Russian shipping has taken losses as well. The container ship Yanina, operated by Fesco within the Rosatom group, sank on August 1 after Ukrainian sea drones hit it about 130 miles from Novorossiysk. Kommersant reported that the crew will each receive 100,000 rubles from their union, according to the head of the seafarers' primary trade union organization, Valery Berezinsky. All 17 crew members were rescued.

Neither side's account of which vessels are legitimate targets is independently verified. Moscow describes the Yanina as an ordinary commercial ship carrying frozen food and construction materials. Kyiv treats Black Sea shipping tied to Russian state groups as part of the war economy.