Ukraine has been able to deny the Russian Navy dominance of the Black Sea despite being left with a functioning navy.
The annexation of Crimea saw Ukraine’s Soviet hand-me-down ships mostly seized by Russian forces while docked in Sevastopol.
During the first days of the Russian invasion, Kyiv scrambled to defend the country’s coastline lost the strategic outpost of Snake Island and with only coastal defences in place to keep the advancing enemy ships at bay, the Economist reports.
Despite not being able to deploy a surface navy, Ukraine managed to build a weapon to take on state-of-the-art Russian warships.
Unbeknown to the Russian Black Sea Fleet commanders, the navy’s prized flagship the Moskva fell victim to this Ukrainian weapon.
The Neptune missile system, also known as the R-360 Neptune, is a Ukrainian advanced subsonic anti-ship cruise missile.
Invented by the Ukranian Luch Design Bureau, it has risen to prominence due to its successful deployment during the conflict.
The Neptune missile system passed a series of testing and was subsequently adopted by the Ukrainian military. It went into operation in March 2021, marking its first operational appearance.
Neptunes are said to have hit Russian naval assets such as the frigate Admiral Essen and the cruiser Moskva.
The R-360 Neptune travels at subsonic speeds and is notable for its low-altitude flight profile, which allows it to dive to levels as low as 3 to 10 metres above the ocean surface.
The missile’s low flight profile allows it to avoid hostile radar and detection systems, boosting its chances of hitting its target.
Neptune missiles successfully targeted the Moskva in April 2022.
These missiles were launched as a result of the ducting phenomenon’s increased radar range.
Despite the Moskva’s apparent invulnerability, Ukrainian radars discovered it and launched Neptune missiles, causing it to sink.
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet’s flagship was seriously damaged, affecting Russia’s naval capability and morale.
The incident sparked debate among military planners around the world about the vulnerability of ships to missiles and drones. Analysts argued on how it might affect Russia’s invasion plans, naval operations, and air defence capabilities. The incident was also compared to historical incidents such as the sinking of the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano.
