Ukraine War: Battle of Black Sea Could Bring Decisive

Created: 06/12/2022, 21:02

By: Helena Gries

Away from the Donbass, a battle for influence in the sea is taking place in the Ukraine war.

Russia dominates the waters south of Ukraine.

Kyiv – Russia has dominated the waters of Ukraine's southern coast since the beginning of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

On the first day of the Ukraine war, cruisers of the Russian Navy, including the heavy guided missile cruiser Moskva, called at the Ukrainian island of Zmiinyi (Snake Island or Snake Island) in the Black Sea.

However, the Ukrainian unit on the island had not surrendered to the Russian attacker for the time being.

In April, the Ukrainian Post Ukrposhta issued a stamp showing the Russian warship Moskva in the background and a Ukrainian soldier showing the middle finger on Zmiinyi Island in the foreground.

Shortly thereafter, the Russian Navy lost the flagship of its Black Sea fleet in the Ukraine war with the "Moskva".

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The stamp quickly became a collector's item among Ukrainians and, according to media reports, broke sales records.

It is considered a symbol of the strategic importance of the Black Sea in the Ukraine conflict.

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Sal Mercogliano, a marine historian and associate professor of history at Campbell University in North Carolina, posits ships are the only threat.

"The threat that the Russians pose is their submarines, which can mine the water and torpedo ships, so they have a strong underwater and submarine capability there," he told Newsweek.

“As long as Russia can deprive Ukraine of the use of its Black Sea ports, that is an economic war they are waging against them.

If Ukraine cannot export their wheat, it will hurt them.”

Away from the Donbass, where the Ukraine war is raging at its core and numerous battles are being fought, a struggle for influence in the sea is taking place, which could even have consequences for the world's food supply.

The Russian guided missile cruiser "Moskva" sank in the Ukraine war and now adorns Ukrainian postage stamps.

© Can Merey/dpa

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Mick Ryan, a retired Australian general, is certain that Russia has the upper hand in the Black Sea and will only make concessions there based on Ukrainian or international concessions elsewhere: "Nothing will stop Russia from putting missiles on any ship fire trying to break through the Russian blockade," he told Newsweek, adding that international aid in the water, as in other aspects of the war, is likely to be limited.

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