Putin holds cruise missile drills in Black Sea after warning that ships delivering cargo to Ukraine are ‘legitimate targets’ since grain deal was scrapped
Putin conducts cruise missile exercises in Black Sea after warning ships delivering cargo to Ukraine are ‘legitimate targets’ since grain deal was scrapped
- From the warship Ivanovets, exercises with cruising miles against ships were conducted
- Russia failed to extend the grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export to poor countries
Russia has held missile war games in the Black Sea after Vladimir Putin threatened to sink ships carrying cargo to Ukraine.
The live anti-ship cruise missile firing exercises were conducted from the warship Ivanovets.
A target ship has been destroyed in the northwestern Black Sea, the Kremlin said.
The exercises were held after Russia bombed Ukrainian export-related grain and agricultural warehouses again.
The strikes come after Moscow failed to renew a grain deal that would allow Ukraine to export products to the world’s poorest countries amid the ongoing war.
Russia held missile war games in Black Sea as Vladimir Putin threatens to sink ships delivering cargo to Ukraine
The live anti-ship cruise missile firing exercises were conducted from the warship Ivanovets
Putin is accused of using food as a weapon of war. Russia announced this week that it will now consider all ships sailing to Ukrainian ports as possible carriers of military cargo.
As such, they will be seen as targets of war, in a sinister escalation of the war.
Navy spokesman Alexander Sakharov said: “Today, as part of an attack missile group of two boats, exercises were held in the Black Sea to launch a missile strike against a fake enemy.
‘During the exercises, we practiced with cruise missiles. The recordings were successful. The enemy was destroyed.’
The exercises also used the aviation fleet “to isolate the area temporarily closed to shipping” and to “take measures” to stop ships that did not follow Russian orders on the open sea.
Moscow has declared several maritime areas in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the international waters of the Black Sea “temporarily hazardous to navigation.”
Russian missiles attack targeted grain depots at night on a farm in the Odessa region, injuring two people, said Serhii Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odessa military administration.
Putin (pictured yesterday) has been accused of using food as a weapon of war after scrapping the grain deal
Russia said the target ship was “destroyed” in the northwestern part of the Black Sea
Russia warned ships carrying cargo for Ukraine are “legitimate targets”.
It’s another sinister escalation of the war against Ukraine – with all ships carrying cargo seen as targets of war
A still image from a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry shows what the ship believes to be the guided missile ship Ivanovets during exercises in the Black Sea
“At daybreak, the Russians fired Kalibr missiles from the missile carrier, which had been on duty in the Black Sea during the night,” he said.
“Unfortunately, grain terminals of one of the farms in the Odessa region were affected.
“The enemy destroyed 100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley.”
Ukraine responded that it will regard ships delivering cargo to Russia as militarily connected.