'A Key Threat': Ukraine's Anti-Ship Missiles Hindering Russia's Plan To Seize Odesa From Sea

Ukraine’s anti-ship capability is causing serious trouble for the Black Sea fleet of the Russian Federation in the southern direction, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said in an update.

This is hindering Russia from implementing its plan to seize Odesa from the sea.

“Russia almost certainly perceives anti-ship missiles as a key threat which is limiting the effectiveness of their Black Sea Fleet. This has significantly undermined the overall invasion plan, as Russia cannot realistically attempt an amphibious assault to seize Odesa,” the report reads.

It also said Russia would continue to prioritize efforts to destroy Ukraine’s anti-ship capability.

The war in Ukraine has now entered its six month, with the Russian forces striking the Odesa port with Kalibr cruise missiles. Russia earlier said it had destroyed a Ukrainian warship and a stock of anti-ship missiles that were at the dockside in Odesa port Sunday with high-precision missiles.

“The Russian MoD claimed to have hit a Ukrainian warship and a stockpile of anti-ship missiles. There is no indication that such targets were at the location the missiles hit,” authorities in the U.K. said, according to Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier shared a video of the wreckage of houses in Zatoka, a popular resort village to the west of Odesa, saying “no military bases, no troops. Russian terrorists just wanted to shoot. They will be held accountable for all this.”

The attacks came days after Russian raids hit the port of Odesa.

“A massive missile attack, with the use of aircraft, was launched from the Black Sea on the south of Ukraine,” the country’s southern military command said on Facebook.

On Monday, Russian forces struck port infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, the mayor said.

“A massive missile strike was launched on the south of Ukraine from the direction of the Black Sea, and with the use of aviation,” Aleksander Senkevich told Ukrainian state television. However, the extent of damage was not known at the time.

As the fight intensified, Ukraine received the first six Stormer HVM (high-velocity missile) air-defense systems from the United Kingdom. These are being used on the front line, Ukraine’s military said, issuing a video of the systems.

“The British ‘invisible’ Stormer HVM air defense systems can ‘see’ enemy attack aircraft at a distance of up to 18 km [11 miles],” Operational Command South wrote. They are termed “invisible” as they cannot be detected by “onboard sensors on enemy helicopters and aircraft.”