Ukraine’s navy on Friday claimed it had struck a Russian vessel carrying air defence systems to a strategic island in the Black Sea.

In a statement on Twitter, the navy said that the Vasily Bekh, part of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, was being used to transport ammunition, weapons and personnel to Snake Island, which is considered vital for protecting the sea lanes out of the key Ukrainian port of Odesa.

Euronews is so far unable to independently verify the claim.

David and Goliath

Snake Island, located some 35 kilometres off the Ukrainian coast, gained international attention early in the war when Ukrainian border guards stationed there defied Russian orders to surrender, using colourful language that later became a rallying cry for Ukrainians.

In April, the Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, which had been used in the attack on Snake Island, was sunk. Ukrainian forces made use of technology and intelligence from the United States to target the ship.

The Ukrainian Navy said on Friday that after the sinking of the Moskva, Russia began installing anti-aircraft missile systems on the decks of its ships.

There was no immediate reaction from Russian authorities about the Ukrainian claim.

Despite its strong resistance, Ukraine has urged its allies to rush more and better weapons to the country, saying it can’t hold off Russia’s more powerful forces without more support.