British Intelligence: Russian Tu-22s hit wrong targets due to haste

Russian bomber pilots fear being shot down in the Black Sea, so they hastily direct their missiles at false targets and leave the area.

The UK Ministry of Defense reported that a similar incident occurred with the Aya merchant ship, which was hit by a missile in the Black Sea on September 11.

On that day, the ship was sailing from Odesa to Egypt, loaded with 26,000 tons of grain.

“It was almost certainly an Kh-22 anti-ship missile launched by a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber that was operating in the area at the time,” the UK Ministry of Defense said.

It is likely that the absence of detonation prevented catastrophic damage.

“It is unlikely that the Aya vessel was the target of this strike and was probably hit due to poor targeting procedures by Russian pilots using an outdated munition,” the statement said.

Russia has regularly attacked targets along Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, including Zmiinyi Island, in an effort to disrupt export activities and weaken any military forces in the area.

According to British intelligence, after the loss of a Tu-22M3 in April, Russia has become more cautious in its strike operations in the Black Sea.

It is possible that this incident occurred because the pilots hastily misidentified the Aya ship as their target, wanting to leave the area immediately after launching for fear of being attacked by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile.

“The Kh-22 missile has consistently failed to fulfill its mission in the war. Launching a supersonic cruise missile on the wrong course from a likely false target in international waters demonstrates extremely poor and irresponsible aviation practice,” the UK Ministry of Defense stated.

Militarnyi previously reported that on the night of August 31-September 1, Russians fired Iskander missiles at farm equipment that was passed off as a military convoy.

The convoy of farmers was on the Sumy-Kharkiv highway near the village of Verkhnia Syrovatka, Sumy district. As a result, one truck was on fire, and about 20 vehicles were damaged.