British intelligence suggests that the Russians accidentally attacked a ship in the Black Sea

British intelligence suggests that the missile attack on the “Aya” grain ship for Egypt could have been an accident.

On September 11, the merchant ship “Aya” was hit by a missile in the Black Sea when it was heading south from the port of Odessa, British intelligence recalled.

The bulk carrier was supposed to deliver more than 26,000 tons of grain to Egypt. The ship was attacked by an X-22 missile launched from a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber operating in the area at the time.

In intelligence, it is considered unlikely that the bulk carrier was the target of the Russians. Russia regularly attacks targets along Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, including Snake Island, to disrupt maritime exports and destroy military hardware in the region.

After the loss of one of its aircraft in April, Russia is likely to be more cautious about strike operations in the Black Sea. As a result, pilots in a hurry could misidentify the target to strike, wanting to leave the area as quickly as possible after launching the missile.

USM previously reported that on the day the Russians attacked a civilian vessel in Odesa region, their target may have been a tanker carrying fuel.