Personally, I’d think that the RORO ferry, once loaded, would be more vulnerable. Then you’ve got all of the same flammability issues, but now the ship is also at stake and it’s harder to fight fires and move not-yet-burning tanker trucks away from a fire.
The passenger capacity of the “Eysk” c / p is 54 people. (members of the crew of trucks). The maximum possible loading of the ferry with light-duty trucks is 17 units.
Self-propelled ferry “Kerch-2”:
The passenger capacity of “Kerch-2” is 60 people. (members of the crew of trucks). The maximum possible loading of the ferry with light-duty trucks is 20 units.
That’s also not a whole lot of depth in ferry stock for Russia to be able to afford to lose. It sounds like Ukraine already wiped out Russia’s rail ferry capacity to Crimea in the last several months:
Ukraine Knocks Out Russia’s Last Rail Ferry “Slavyanin” Supplying Crimea
Apr 08, 2026 13:51
HUR said the ferry had been the last remaining railway ferry used by Russian forces in temporarily occupied Kerch. The vessel was reportedly used to transport fuel, ammunition, military equipment, and weapons to Russian troops stationed on the peninsula.
The intelligence agency noted that the same ferry had previously been targeted in March. At that time, Ukrainian forces also struck another Russian railway ferry, Avangard, which was subsequently disabled.
EDIT2: I guess Russia could also maybe use landing ships to transport fuel trucks onto unimproved shores, if a tractor-trailer can handle sand, but it sounds like Ukraine’s been taking them out too:
According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, the ship was hit in the night of 19 April 2026 in Sevastopol Bay along with Yamal, and both may have been subsequently taken out of service.[14][15]
Active (and being used to at least some extent in this role, apparently):
On 12 July 2023, Kaliningrad and her sister ship Olenegorsky Gornyak were reported to be acting as ferries at the request of the Ministry of Transport, conveying motor vehicles across the Kerch Strait to ease holiday traffic on the Crimean Bridge.[20][21]
On 14 February 2024, the Ukrainian military announced its forces had hit the ship with several unmanned surface vehicles (USV) while it was off Crimea, which they say caused it to sink.[3] The sinking of the ship has been confirmed by Russian sources.[3][failed verification]
The ship was attacked twice during the Russo-Ukrainian war, being damaged in March 2022, and attacked again in December 2023.[2] In the second attack, the Ukrainian Air Force fired cruise missiles at the ship while the ship was at a naval base in Feodosia, Crimea.[3] While Russian officials admitted the ship was damaged, Ukrainian Air Force officials said that the ship sustained extensive damage due to secondary explosions which would make repairs difficult.[3][4] The UK Ministry of Defence assessed the ship as “completely destroyed”,[5] and the UK Defence Secretary said the ship’s destruction showed “Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea is now challenged.”[6] Subsequent satellite imagery and photographs attributed to Crimean observers showed that the ship suffered extensive damage and was partially submerged in port after the attack.[7][8]
According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, the ship was hit in the night of 19 April 2026 in Sevastopol Bay along with the Tapir-class landing ship Nikolai Filchenkov, and both may have been subsequently taken out of service.[6][7]
Personally, I’d think that the RORO ferry, once loaded, would be more vulnerable. Then you’ve got all of the same flammability issues, but now the ship is also at stake and it’s harder to fight fires and move not-yet-burning tanker trucks away from a fire.
EDIT:
https://crimeaports.ru/en/affiliates/kerch-ferry-service
That’s also not a whole lot of depth in ferry stock for Russia to be able to afford to lose. It sounds like Ukraine already wiped out Russia’s rail ferry capacity to Crimea in the last several months:
https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukraine-knocks-out-russias-last-rail-ferry-slavyanin-supplying-crimea-17733
EDIT2: I guess Russia could also maybe use landing ships to transport fuel trucks onto unimproved shores, if a tractor-trailer can handle sand, but it sounds like Ukraine’s been taking them out too:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Saratov
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Nikolai_Filchenkov
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Nikolai_Vilkov
Based in Vladivostok. I don’t expect that it can get to Crimea, since Turkey closed the Turkish Straits to warships subsequent to the invasion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Orsk
Sounds like that one’s still in service.
EDIT3: And the Ropucha-class:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Kondopoga
Turkish Straits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Aleksandr_Otrakovsky
Turkish Straits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Oslyabya
Turkish Straits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Admiral_Nevelskoy
Turkish Straits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Kaliningrad
Active (and being used to at least some extent in this role, apparently):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Georgy_Pobedonosets
Turkish Straits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Aleksandr_Shabalin
Turkish Straits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_ship_Tsezar_Kunikov
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Novocherkassk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Yamal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Azov
Sounds to be active; it was apparently attacked by Ukraine but not hit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Peresvet
Turkish Straits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_landing_ship_Korolyov
Sounds to be active.