The Russian Navy's strike on the port in Odessa destroyed a docked Ukrainian warship, as well as a warehouse where naval Harpoon missiles, supplied by the US, were stored, the Russian Defense Ministry has stated. The ministry added that ship-based long-range precision missiles were used to strike these targets.
In addition to destroying the unspecified military vessel and the warehouse, the Russian strike destroyed a plant located at the port, which Ukraine used to modify and repair its warships, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
While the Defense Ministry did not elaborate on the type of warship that had been destroyed by the strike, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova specified that it was a fast attack craft.
US Military Aid Destroyed
The Harpoon missiles stored in the warehouse levelled by the Russian strike are manufactured by the US defense industry giant Boeing, and were supplied by Washington along with other weaponry. They can carry a warhead weighing up to 225 kilograms and hit targets as far away as 280 kilometers.
Moscow has repeatedly called on the West to stop shipping weapons to Ukraine, warning that it can be misused to hit civilian objects or fall into the wrong hands. The Kremlin has condemned these shipments, as they only prolong the conflict in Ukraine and stressed that the Western countries do not bother to save the lives of Ukrainians. Russia cites the West's military aid as one of the reasons why Kiev has abandoned talks to end the conflict more quickly.