Ukraine has thwarted Russia’s efforts to control the northwestern Black Sea

 

 

Ukraine’s coastal defences have largely neutralised Russia’s ability to establish control in the northwestern Black Sea, the United Kingdom’s defence ministry has said.

Ukraine’s forces reportedly destroyed a Russian naval tug delivering weapons and personnel to Snake Island with Western Harpoon anti-ship missiles last week, the first successful use of the weapons, the ministry said.

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

Ukraine’s ability to defend its coast “has undermined the viability of Russia’s original operational design for the invasion, which involved holding the Odesa region at risk from the sea,” the ministry added.