Russia’s flagship Black Sea fleet called ‘Moskva’, a guided-missile cruiser, sunk while being towed into port by Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles. Ukrainian officials said their forces hit the vessel with missiles, while Russia acknowledged a fire aboard the Moskva but no attack. The US and other Western officials could not confirm what caused the blaze.
Ukrainian officials said their forces hit the vessel with missiles, while Russia acknowledged a fire aboard the Moskva but no attack. The US and other Western officials could not confirm what caused the blaze.
What is Neptune anti-ship cruise missile?
Two of the Neptune cruise missile hit the Russian fleet. The missiles, which were developed by Ukrainians and entered service in August 2020, have a range of around 300 kilometres (186 miles) and can carry warheads of up 150 kilograms (over 330 pounds).
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Neptune's design, which is based on the Soviet Kh-35 anti-ship missile, is designed to defeat surface warships. It also transports vessels with a displacement of up to 5,000 tons.
The missile was first revealed in the "Weapons and Security 2015" exhibition in Kyiv.
What is Moskva?
The Moskva had the capacity to carry 16 long-range cruise missiles, and its removal reduces Russia’s firepower in the Black Sea. It’s also a blow to Moscow’s prestige in a war already widely seen as a historic blunder. Now entering its eighth week, the invasion has stalled amid resistance from Ukrainian fighters bolstered by weapons and other aid sent by Western nations.
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During the first days of the war, the Moskva was reportedly the ship that called on Ukrainian soldiers stationed on Snake Island in the Black Sea to surrender in a standoff. In a widely circulated recording, a soldier responded: “Russian warship, go (expletive) yourself.”
How have Russia and Ukraine responded?
In his nightly video address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alluded to the sinking as he told Ukrainians they should be proud of having survived 50 days under attack when the Russians “gave us a maximum of five.”
Russia's Defense Ministry spoke of a "fire" that detonated ammunition aboard the Soviet-era vessel. The cause of the fire, according to the ministry, is still being investigated. They did not mention a Ukrainian attack.
"The ship has suffered serious damage," they said in a statement, adding that the ship's 500+ crew has been "fully evacuated."
Russian officials said that the fire onboard has been localized and the ammunition was no longer exploding. They also said the navy would tow the flagship vessel into port. Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian president had been informed about the incident.
Later on Thursday, however, the Russian defence ministry confirmed that the ship had sunk while being towed in "stormy conditions" due to hull damage sustained during the fire.
(with inputs from agencies)
