Ihor Kabanenko
On the night of September 12, the unarmed civilian bulk carrier Aya, registered to Saint Kitts and Nevis and carrying Ukrainian grain to Egypt, was attacked by a Russian Kh-22 cruise missile launched from a Tu-22M3 bomber (24tv.ua, September 12; Ukrainian Shipping Magazine, September 13). “This Russian attack is a brazen assault on freedom of navigation and global food security, in violation of UN General Assembly Resolution A.1183,” Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressed (UNN.ua, September 12). As the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine persists and Russia increasingly targets Ukrainian infrastructure, including civilian cargo vessels, security in the Black Sea will continue to be a critical facet of both Kyiv and Moscow’s strategy.
The missile hit the vessel south of Snake Island, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) from the Romanian coast (Ukrainska Pravda, September 12). Snake Island, located 35 kilometers (21 miles) from the Ukrainian coast, is one of the most important strategic locations in Ukraine’s littoral waters. Russia captured the island at the beginning of their large-scale military aggression against Ukraine, but Ukraine recaptured it on June 30, 2022. Russian troops tried to set up a “cover” military complex on the island for their warships that operated in this core area, which became vulnerable after the sinking of the Moskva cruiser. The Russians, however, have repeatedly attacked Snake Island through strategic and tactical aviation after Ukraine took it back (UNIAN.ua, September 21). This type of attack was seen most recently on September 12, when the Aya bulk carrier suffered collateral damage as part of a strike on the island (Intent.press, September 12).
No comments:
Post a Comment