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Ukrainian coastal defense capability largely neutralized Russia's ability to establish sea control, UK MoD says

21 June 2022 09:47 (UTC +04:00)

On 17 June 2022, Ukrainian forces claimed their first successful use of Western-donated Harpoon anti-ship missiles to engage Russian maritime forces, UK MoD wrote on Twitter, APA reports.

"The target of the attack was almost certainly the Russian naval tug Spasatel Vasily Bekh, which was delivering weapons and personnel to Snake Island in the north-western Black Sea.

The destruction of the Russian vessel on a resupply mission demonstrates the difficulty Russia faces when attempting to support their forces occupying Snake Island.

This is the latest in a series of Russian vessels, including the cruiser Moskva, to be damaged or destroyed by Ukraine during the conflict.

Ukrainian coastal defence capability has largely neutralized Russia's ability to establish sea control and project maritime force in the north-western Black Sea.

This has undermined the viability of Russia's original operational design for the invasion, which involved holding the Odesa region at risk from the sea.