Harpoons, nuclear red lines and a day of claims

What did a single day in the fourth month of the war show about its sea, its rhetoric and its wider pressures? On 17 June 2022, Ukrainian authorities said their forces had struck the Russian tugboat Vasiliy Bekh with Harpoon missiles. According to Kyiv, the vessel was carrying soldiers, weapons and ammunition to Snake Island.

A new weapon, quickly in use

The claim followed an announcement two days earlier. On 15 June 2022, the United States unveiled a new $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine. It included 18 howitzers, artillery rockets and night vision devices. For the first time it also included two Harpoon anti-ship missile units. The Ukrainian account of the tugboat strike, made on 17 June, pointed to that same missile type.

Moscow on nuclear weapons

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would use nuclear weapons only if the sovereignty of the country were threatened. His remarks came as the war continued on the ground and at sea.

The days before

The preceding days had brought violence and some unusual claims. On 16 June, Ukrainian officials said four people had been killed and six injured in an overnight rocket attack on Sumy. The same day, the mayor of Melitopol claimed that Ukrainian farmers had caused mass illness among Russian troops by poisoning cherries.

Pressure on energy

The conflict was also felt in European energy markets. On 16 June, benchmark European natural gas prices rose by around 30%. Gazprom had cut Nord Stream 1 supplies to Germany to 40% of the pipeline's capacity. Russia blamed maintenance problems, saying Canada had refused to return equipment sent for repair. It also warned that use of the pipeline could be suspended completely.

Taken together, the reports from 15 to 17 June 2022 show a conflict being pursued through weapons deliveries, strikes at sea, public warnings and energy supply.