Russia And Ukraine Are Wiping Out Each Other's Shipping
Unrestricted naval warfare on the Black Sea
On Feb. 1, 1917, Germany resumed unrestricted naval warfare against all shipping supplying it enemies, whether shipping flew under an enemy’s flag or the flag of some other country. All ships were targets.
“This new unrestricted submarine warfare campaign was partially responsible for bringing the United States into the war on the Allied side in April 1917,” the Canadian War Museum noted.
“The Germans had gambled that unrestricted submarine warfare would win the war by strangling Britain before the full might of the United States would turn the tide,” the museum added. “It almost succeeded.”
But it didn’t succeed. Instead, it only escalated World War I in a way that led to Germany’s defeat.
This history looms over the decision by Ukrainian leaders to conduct unrestricted naval warfare in the Black Sea starting on July 6. In a heady four weeks, Ukrainian drones struck around 200 tankers, cargo ships and supporting auxiliaries mostly belonging to Russia’s unregistered “shadow fleet.”
