Conflicts

A Russian Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber mistakenly struck a grain-carrying vessel in the Black Sea, likely attempting to avoid being shot down.

The UK Ministry of Defense shared on social media that the merchant ship, Aya, narrowly escaped disaster, as the missile failed to detonate.

"On 11 September 2024, the merchant vessel Aya was struck by a missile in the Black Sea as it transited south from the Ukrainian port of Odesa, having been loaded with more than 26 thousand tons of grain bound for Egypt," the UK Ministry stated on X.

“It is almost certain that the missile was an AS-4 KITCHEN anti-ship missile launched by a Tu-22M3 BACKFIRE Russian bomber that was operating in the area at the time. It is a realistic possibility that a detonation failure avoided catastrophic damage,” the Ministry added.

According to the report, the Aya wasn’t the intended target of the Russian bomber, which likely fired hastily to avoid Ukrainian air defenses.

Since one of its bombers was shot down by Ukraine last April, Russia has become more cautious in its operations in the region.

(QG - Source : British Ministry of Defence / Newsweek / Picture: © Unsplash)