Ukraine's US-made Harpoon missiles destroy heavily-armed Russian war vessel in Black Sea

Ukraine’s armed forces launched United States-manufactured Harpoon anti-ship missile that destroyed Russian Black sea Navy SAR ship"Vasily Bekh" near Zmiinyi [Snake] Island which was loed with TOR anti-aircraft missile system. “ big Russian tugboat Vasylyi Bekh, which was carrying Tor-1 SAM on board, ammunition and personnel for occupation garrison of Snake Island was destroyed. tugboat was hit by a Harpoon missile,” Ukraine's Armed Forces Strategic Communications Directorate's informed on Telegram.

It also shared a footage purporting to show anti-ship missile blowing up war vessel. No official confirmation or information on damages of vessel was received from Russia’s side. Harpoon's active rar guidance, warhe design, low-level cruise trajectory, and terminal mode sea-skim manoeuvers assure high survivability and effectiveness in attacking long-range targets and challenging enemy's naval movements. Harpoon missiles are incorporated with Global Positioning System-assisted inertial navigation, which enables system to have both an anti-ship and a land attack capability. United States' Harpoon missile has been integrated on F-16 aircrafts and is also presently being integrated on foreign F-15 aircraft.

"This morning, our naval forces struck Black Sea Fleet support vessel Vasily Bekh, with TOR anti-aircraft missile system on board. Later it became known that he sank,” he of  Odesa Regional Military ministration, Maxim Marchenko, said. 

Ukraine Navy destroys heavily-armed Russian war vessel in Black Sea

Harpoon anti-ship missiles manufactured by Boeing Defence, Space & Security, were recently provided to Ukraine as part of a multi-billion dollar aid package approved by Biden ministration. US Department of Defence also announced supply of truck-mounted Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems (HCDS) to bolster Ukraine’s defences against Russia’s powerful firearms. It would be first that Ukraine has destroyed a Russian vessel with Western-supplied weapon. In April,  Ukrainian forces sank Russia’s warship Moskva, flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, using ir own Neptune missile.

"Vasily Bekh" tugboat. Credit: Twitter/@OSINT88

Since Moscow’s all-out invasion on February 24, Ukraine’s armed forces have destroyed 1,376 Russian tanks, 3,376 armored combat vehicles, and 14 ships or vessels. Russian Black sea Navy SAR ship Vasily Bekh, armed with Tor-M2 series surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, was commissioned in 2017. At time it went down, Russian forces were transporting soldiers from Black Sea Fleet to Snake Island. A Bayraktar TB2 drone recorded footage. 

Harpoon missile systems on trucks. Credit: Twitter/@Cyberspec1

Ukraine started receiving Harpoon anti-ship missiles from Denmark and US, as well as  self-propelled howitzers earlier in May, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said. " coastal defense of our country will not only be strengned by Harpoon missiles -- y will be used by trained Ukrainian teams," Reznikov h written on social media. Ukraine's military h been operating Harpoon shore-to-ship missiles alongside Ukrainian Neptune missiles to defend Ukraine's Black Sea, including sourn port of Odesa.

 all-wear, over--horizon, anti-ship harpoon missile deploys  active rar homing and is launched above water from submarines, aircraft, or coastal batteries to eve enemy's attack. Ukraine also received US-me M109 self-propelled howitzers that now allow Ukraine's military to strike targets from longer distances.

Image: AP