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Russian Su-30 fighter jet attacks have destroyed two Ukrainian military ships, one of them made in the US, in the Black Sea. Photo/TASS
KYIV – Two Ukrainian military ships, one of which was made in the United States (US), were destroyed after being attacked by Russian Su-30 fighter jets in the Black Sea. The attacks on the two ships on Tuesday were only a few hours apart.
“On August 22 at around 11:00 Moscow time east of Snake Island, the US-built Willard Sea Force fast boat with a Ukrainian landing group was destroyed by Russian army aircraft,” the Russian Defense Ministry said, as quoted by AFP, Wednesday (23/8/2023).
The second Ukrainian military head destroyed by Moscow troops has not been identified.
The same day, the ministry released footage of the interaction, which appears to have been recorded from a Russian warplane. The image shows the speedboat in maneuver as the aircraft fires at it at short notice.
California-based Willard Marine sold five ships to the Ukrainian military in 2013, and America funded the acquisition.
The ships were delivered to Odessa in 2015. Eight of the ships were purchased from the same source a few years earlier, when Kyiv footed the bill.
Snake Island was seized by Russian forces shortly after hostilities with Ukraine broke out in February 2022.
The Russian Defense Ministry withdrew Moscow troops from the island in June, in what Kyiv claims was a major military victory. However, Russia has described the move as a goodwill gesture to promote grain deals in the Black Sea.
The agreement allows Ukraine to export agricultural products through the Black Sea.
The deal collapsed last month after Moscow accused the West of failing to facilitate trade in Russian agriculture and fertilizers, in defiance of promises made by the United Nations when the deal was struck.
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