A Russian warplane sank the US-made watercraft, which was carrying troops Source: The Russian Defense Ministry
The Russian Defense Ministry has published footage of an attack on a US-made speedboat operated by the Ukrainian military in the Black Sea. It was reportedly destroyed by a warplane earlier on Tuesday.
The video, which was apparently shot from the Russian warplane, showed the boat making sharp turns as the aircraft fired its cannon in short bursts.
The target was identified by the Russian military as a US-produced Willard Sea Force model. California-based Willard Marine produces several size variants of rigid inflatable patrol boats. The firm has sold a number of these to the Ukrainian Navy, according to local media reports.
The Russian military did not reveal the exact model of the boat, but said it was carrying a Ukrainian amphibious team when it was intercepted on Tuesday morning to the east of Snake Island.
Source: The Russian Defense Ministry
The small land mass is located off the coast of Odessa Region, close to Romanian territorial waters. It changed hands twice last year and Kiev has attached symbolic significance to the island, which was previously the subject of a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Romania.
