The Russian Black Fleet Shops conducted a military “exercise” in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, Moscow announced today, saying that missiles were fired at surface ships to hit a target at sea.

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, ships of the Black Sea Fleet fired cruise missiles against “a target vessel at a firing range in the northwestern part of the Black Sea”, where Moscow indicated on Thursday that it would consider ships heading to Ukraine “potential military targets”.

“Telemetry data and video surveillance by drones confirmed the success of the exercise. The target vessel was destroyed when it was hit by a missile,” Moscow said.

The Russian defence ministry also said that the fleet’s air force, in coordination with ships, “worked” to “engage in actions to temporarily close the zone closed to navigation” and “contain” the target vessel.

Black Sea Fleet Ships and Aviation Conduct Exercises on Black Sea, Area Temporarily Closed for Navigation.

The Black Sea Fleet practiced the interception of a violating vessel and also conducted launches of anti-ship cruise missiles at targets in the northwest part of the sea.… pic.twitter.com/aZxr4OUd4j

— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) July 21, 2023

The day before yesterday, Wednesday, the Kremlin indicated that it would consider from yesterday, Thursday, ships moving in the direction of Ukraine in the Black Sea as “potential military vessels” and countries whose flags are flown by parties involved in the conflict.

Areas “in the northwest and southeast international waters of the Black Sea were declared temporarily dangerous for transit,” it added.

Tensions rose sharply again in the Black Sea after Russia this week withdrew from a July 2022 deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations that allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grain through secure sea routes, which was considered critical to global food supplies.

Russia justified its decision to not renew the agreement by saying Ukraine and the West had violated the deal by using the sea corridor as a way to ship arms into Ukraine. The Ukrainian military hit the Crimean Bridge with missiles this week killing two civilians.