Denmark To Offer Ukraine Anti-Ship Harpoon Missiles Against Russia

On the 23rd, United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed that Denmark will provide Ukraine with the anti-ship Harpoon launcher and missiles. Some analysts pointed out that the “Harpoon” missile has a range of up to nearly 300 kilometers, putting Russia’s Black Sea Fleet at risk.

The anti-ship Harpoon missile system provided by the Danish Defense is capable of not only hitting ships at sea but also striking targets in ports and land with the updated weapons control system. Ukraine has been reportedly demanding anti-ship Harpoon missiles to break Russia’s blockade of the maritime passage in Odesa and eliminate ongoing threats from Russian sea-based missiles. Ukraine, the world’s fifth-largest wheat exporter, has been unable to ship its grain from the seaport in Odesa due to Russia’s embargo on the Black Sea, which has stifled the country’s primary grain export industry and pushed global grain prices to record high.

The anti-ship Harpoon missile could also threaten the Black Sea Fleet’s logistics center in Sevastopol, making it harder for Russia to recharge its Ammunition after launching missile strikes on land targets in Ukraine. On April 14, the guided-missile cruiser “Moskva” of the Russian Black Sea Fleet was hit by missiles fired by Ukraine, caught fire, and sank. Russian naval activities off the coast of Odesa have since declined considerably.