On September 11, 2024, the Aya merchant vessel (MV) was struck by a missile in the Black Sea as it transited south from Ukrainian port of Odesa having been loaded with more than 26 thousand tons of grain bound for Egypt. It is almost certain that the missile was the Kh-22 anti-ship missile launched by russian Tu-22M3 bomber that was operating in the area at the time. It is a realistic possibility that a detonation failure avoided catastrophic damage, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
It is unlikely that the Aya MV was the intended target for this mission and was likely struck due to poor targeting procedures from russian pilots using aging munition. Russia has regularly attacked targets along Ukraine’s Black Sea coastline, including Snake Island, as they attempt to disrupt export activity and degrade any military assets in the area.
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Following the loss of the Tu-22M3 in April this year, russia has almost certainly been more wary with their strike operations in the Black Sea. It is a realistic possibility this incident occurred due to pilots incorrectly identifying the Aya MV as their target in haste, wanting to depart the area immediately after launch for fear of being targeted by Ukrainian surface to air missile.
The Kh-22 missile has consistently underperformed in this war. Launching a supersonic cruise missile on an incorrect heading against a likely erroneous target in international waters demonstrates extremely poor and irresponsible aviation practice.
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