London (diplomat.so) - A Russian bomber mistakenly hit a grain ship in the Black Sea on September 11, 2024, during a hastily executed mission, according to British defence officials. The merchant vessel, Aya, was en route from Odesa to Egypt with over 26,000 tons of grain when it was struck by an aging AS-4 KITCHEN missile launched by a Russian Tu-22M3 BACKFIRE bomber. Fortunately, a suspected detonation failure spared the ship from catastrophic damage.
The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) suggested that the missile launch was likely rushed, as Russian pilots aimed to flee the area quickly to avoid Ukrainian air defences. They added that poor targeting procedures, exacerbated by the use of outdated munitions, were the probable cause of the mistaken strike. The missile, a supersonic cruise weapon, has a track record of underperformance in the ongoing conflict.
Tensions have remained high in the Black Sea, with Russia and Ukraine frequently clashing along the coastline and at sea. The sinking of Russia’s flagship Moskva and the capture and recapture of Snake Island have only intensified the situation. The MoD noted that following the loss of a BACKFIRE bomber earlier this year, Russia has become more cautious in its airstrike operations in the region.
Despite the dangerous incident, British defence chiefs believe that the strike was unintentional, highlighting the "irresponsible aviation practice" of launching a missile on an incorrect heading. The MoD emphasized that the Russian pilots’ urgency to evade potential retaliation likely contributed to the targeting error.
While information from the battlefield is often difficult to verify, Western intelligence assessments generally maintain greater credibility than official Russian narratives. However, the evolving conflict continues to be marked by disinformation campaigns from both sides.
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