"Shahda" threatened: what does the attack on "Port Olya-4" for war mean
On the night of August 15, 2025, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian Pott Olya-4 dry load sank at the port of Olga on the Caspian Sea as a result of attack 14 drones. The incident happened 810 km from the active front, which emphasizes Ukraine's ability to strike a considerable distance.
The ship belonging to the Russian businessman Jamaldin Pashayev transported the components for the Shakhad drone-Kamikadze from Iran, as well as ammunition, including 122 mm shells of the he-frag family "Arash" for RSSV "Grad". This cargo was critical to the Russian army, given the shortage of ammunition. The Russian media confirms significant damage to the vessel, although the Kremlin's official structures avoid comments.
According to them, 10 out of 14 drones were knocked down by air defense, but the rest reached the target. Roszma suggests the involvement of Azerbaijan, citing the direction of attack, although this is not confirmed. Meanwhile, Telegram Analysts have published comparative photos of the vessel before and after the incident, finding characteristic damage, indicating its identity. However, the authenticity of the images is doubt whether they are real or whether it is installation.
The technical characteristics of Port Olya-4, built by the Chinese company Hengyu Sipyard in 2014, include 123 m long, 16. 7 m wide and tonnage more than 5 thousand tons. The ship regularly runs with the Caspian, providing logistics between Iran and Russia. Its sinking can be interrupted by the supply of critical components for Shahaneda, which Russia has begun to be actively used since the end of 2024, based on Iranian technologies due to its own production restrictions.
Senior analyst of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation Anton Zemlynny noted that the effects of attack on the Port Olya-4 ship, which occurred at the port of Olga, located 810 km from the active front remain unknown due to the lack of satellite images or video from eyewitnesses, which complicates the evaluation of the scale.
However, available information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces makes a number of assumptions about the value of this event for Russia's military potential. According to the expert, the Port Olya-4 ship is a regular participant in trade routes of the Caspian Sea, providing a logistics link between Iran and Russia. "According to open trekking systems, on the eve of the attack, it returned from Iran, carrying a cargo that probably included components for Shahaned's jet drones.
These drones, represented by Iran in 2023, Russia began to use the reacting. UAV. In addition, according to the General Staff, there were also ammunition of Iranian production on board. Earlier, the Russian forces used Iranian 122 mm and 130 mm shells, which are analogues of Soviet fragmented artillery ammunition. There is evidence of Iran's transfer of 122-mm he-frag shells from the Arash family, which Russia has adapted for the Grad Grad Reactive Systems.
This reinforces the version that the cargo could include these shells, which makes it strategically important to support Russian artillery. The earth emphasizes that the destruction of this vessel, regardless of the exact content of cargo, will strike a tangible blow to the logistics chains of Russia. Iran's supply is a key element for replenishing ammunition and components, especially in the conditions of sanctions and shortage of own production.
The attack can suspend the supply of critical components for Shahaneda and artillery systems, which will significantly affect the combat capabilities of Russian troops in the coming months. It should be reminded that in Steritamak in Bashkortostan in the Russian Federation in the morning, August 9, an explosion came on the territory of Bashkir Soda Company. According to the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Bashkortostan, 16 people were injured as a result of the event.