Ukraine: Royal Navy Black Sea plan sparks Russian conflict fears
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According to reports, the UK-supplied Brimstone missiles have pushed back Russian ships by about 60 miles (100km). The Black Sea has become a focal point of the conflict, with the Kremlin jostling to block access to Ukrainian ports in the region to both deter foreign military supplies and disrupt international food exports from Ukraine.
The presence of British supplied anti-ship missiles has now forced Putin to change his tactics in a bid to maintain control over Ukraine’s southern coastline.
A Ukrainian Ministry of Defence statement on the popular social messaging application Telegram read: “As a result of our active actions aimed at defeating enemy naval forces, the group of ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet was pushed back from the Ukrainian shores at a distance of more than a hundred kilometres (62 miles).”
With Russian vessels on the retreat, Moscow has turned to coastal missile systems in an attempt to reassert control of the waterway choke point.
With the highly strategically placed Snake Island being a key point in the Black Sea, Russian forces have deployed more assets to the disputed island.
The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think-tank, said: “Taken together, these reports suggest that Ukrainian naval pressure and anti-ship missiles – likely including those provided by the UK and other states – have forced the Russian grouping in the north-western Black Sea to rely more on coastal and air defence as they are pushed away from the Ukrainian shoreline.
“Ukraine will likely attempt to leverage these successes to alleviate the economic pressure of the Russian blockade on Ukraine’s ports and seek additional economic support from the West, including possibly opening up new routes for international aid to Ukraine.”
Ukraine has shown its defences have been most effective in deterring Russian naval assets since the start of the war.
Already, the pride of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, The Moskva, has been sunk by Ukrainian defences.
Reports suggest two Neptune missiles fired by Ukraine sealed the fate of the Russian Missile cruiser.
In a bid to help Kyiv end the blockade of its ports, Britain promised to send hundreds of Brimstone anti-ship missiles to bolster naval defences.
Despite the assistance, a Ukrainian official warned: “The threat of Russian missile strikes from the sea remains.”
The source added that Russian ships continue to “block civil navigation in the area”, further raising concerns of a global food crisis, while grains exports from Ukraine are blocked.
With the control of the Black Sea key to the supply of foodstuffs to the world, Putin has been accused of weaponising the supply chain.
When discussed in the latest United Nations Security Council meeting, the notion prompted the Russian ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, to walk out of the chamber in protest.
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Later, Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky posted on Telegram’s Russian channel that Mr Michel’s comments were ‘so rude’ that his boss had left the Security Council chamber as a result.
The walkout was prompted by EU Council President Charles Michel directly accusing Moscow of causing global food shortages.
Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, said on Tuesday the Kremlin was using the captured Azov Sea ports of Mariupol and Berdynask to restart grain exports from Ukraine.
He said: “The de-mining of Mariupol’s port has been completed.
“It is functioning normally, and has received its first cargo ships.”
For more stories like this, follow Defence and Secuirty Correspondent James Lee on Twitter by clicking here: @JamesLee_DE
Turkey has offered to act as a broker to facilitate the flow of ships in the Black Sea, however, to date, no deal has been reached between Kyiv, Moscow and Ankara.
In a statement, Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs said Kyiv will reject any agreements “that do not take into account the interest of Ukraine”.
He added: “We appreciate Turkey’s efforts aimed at unblocking Ukrainian ports.
“At the same time, it should be noted that there are no agreements on this issue between Ukraine, Turkey and Russia at this time.”
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