On Monday, 31 July, the Israeli ship Ams1 successfully broke through the Russian blockade of the Black Sea and entered the Ukrainian branch of the Danube, despite threats from Russia. The vessel had set sail from the city of Ashdod and became the first to defy the Russian "grain blockade" after the shelling of Reni.…
  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    236·
    11 months ago

    Interestingly:

    The safe passage of these vessels is being ensured by the American anti-ship patrol aircraft Boeing P-8 Poseidon, which is refuelled in the Romanian sky. Additionally, the Forte12 RQ-4 reconnaissance drone provides valuable information about the maritime situation.

    This is absolutely a “fuck around and you’ll find out” play. There is a P-8 officially advertising it’s presence as a protective measure. But I would honestly be shocked if there’s not a LOT more NATO hardware (likely mostly stealth, plus AWACS and ELINT) in the area as backup.