The report from London concludes that Ukraine’s coastal defense has largely neutralized the Russians’ ability to gain control of the sea and to project naval power in the northwestern Black Sea.
London, Thanasis Gavos
The British Ministry of Defense points out in the information on Tuesday about the developments in the Ukrainian-Russian war that on June 17 the Ukrainian forces made the first successful use of the Harpoon anti-ship missiles donated by the West.
The target of the attack was almost certainly the Soviet tug Spasatel Vasily Bekh, which was transporting weapons and personnel to Fidonisi, in the northwestern Black Sea.
According to the British Ministry, the destruction of the Russian ship during a supply mission shows the difficulty that the Russians face when trying to support their forces that have occupied Fidonisi.
He added that it was the newest of a series of Russian ships, including the Moskva cruiser, that had been damaged or destroyed by Ukrainians during the war.
The report from London concludes that Ukraine’s coastal defense has largely neutralized the Russians’ ability to gain control of the sea and to project naval power in the northwestern Black Sea.
“This has undermined the viability of Russia’s original operational plan for the invasion, which provided for the maintenance of the Odessa province from the sea,” the Pentagon added.
