On Mar. 11, the Air Force destroyed the "Mechanic Pogodin" tanker, which was used by the Russians as a control point, in the area of the Kinburn spit.
What is known about the tanker "Mechanic Pogodin"
The Navy noted that the tanker "Mechanic Pogodin" IIN No. 9598397 belonged to the Russian company VEB — Leasing OJSC (St. Petersburg), which was included in the sanctions list.
According to the Decree of the President of Ukraine "On the decision of the NSDC dated May 2, 2018 "On the application and cancellation of economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)" and according to the decision of the Kherson District Administrative Court in August 2018, the tanker "Mechanic Pogodin" was arrested until the summer of 2023 was located on the territory of the Kherson seaport.
However, after the Russians blew up the Kakhovska dam, the tanker washed ashore on the Kinburn spit, which the Russians temporarily controlled.
Later, the Russians deployed an observation post on the ship to conduct intelligence and EW devices. The ship was periodically used as a platform for striking FPV drones in the Kherson region.
The Navy emphasises that the ship meets the definition of a military object under paragraph 40 and subparagraph c) of paragraph 60 of the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea.
The "Mechanic Pogodin" tanker was part of the Russians' EW, intelligence information collection, surveillance, command, and communication systems.
Therefore, the destruction of the Russian tanker "Mechanic Pogodin" not only prevented the invaders from implementing their plans, but was also carried out in full compliance with the norms of International Humanitarian Law.
Video of the destruction of the Russian control point
The day before, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleschuk, published a video of a hit on the Russian control point, thanking the Ukrainian pilots for their work.
