Russia now says its flagship sank after towing it after the blast

The Russian Defense Ministry reports that the Russian ship Moskva sank after an explosion in the Black Sea, the causes of which are still unknown, and Ukraine claimed responsibility for the missile attack.

“While towing to the port of destination Moscow cruiser, the ship lost stability due to damage to the hull caused by the explosion of ammunition during the fire. “The ship sank in a stormy sea,” said a statement from the military department, compiled by Russian state media.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has previously said that a fire on a ship loaded with ammunition caused an explosion. Russia claimed that its Black Sea Fleet flagship had suffered “serious damage”, although “the crew was evacuated”. Russia has not yet released additional information on the cause of the fire and says an “investigation” is underway.

Initially, the Russian ministry assured the ship that it was sailing despite the damage, that most of its 16 missiles in its arsenal were safe, and that it was carrying it to the port of Sevastopol.

Although Russia did not say whether the explosion was caused by an attack by the Ukrainian army, Maxim Marchenko, the governor of the Odessa port region, assured Moscow that two Russian-produced Neptune cruise missiles had hit Moscow. Ukrainian, reports Telegram.

According to Forbes, Neptune’s rockets are secret and guided by radar. They can reach ships at distances of up to 280 km.

Prior to Russia’s announcement of the sinking, the Southern Operations Command of the Ukrainian Land Forces said on Facebook that Moscow had been severely damaged by the missile strike and that explosions from its arsenal had reached rescue vessels. Approach. The Ukrainian army added that a tidal wave “threw the ship” and it “began to sink”.

Adviser to the President of Ukraine Alexei Arestovich said that 510 crew members were on board and the storm complicated the work of extinguishing the fire. Arestovich posted a video on Twitter in which he claims that the moment of the rocket attack on a Russian ship from Ukraine was captured. In it the joke of Ukrainian soldiers is heard about the blow.

A Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, said in an interview with MSNBC that the United States had not been able to verify these versions at this time and that they had only been able to confirm that “quite a big explosion” had occurred in the published images. “There was an explosion, but we do not know what caused this explosion,” he added.

U.S. Department of Defense sources told the media that the deck of this type of ship usually contains flammable elements that could cause fire or explosion, such as fuel, ammunition or artillery pieces: “It could be the result. Attack with a rocket, it could have been something else.

Without confirming that the explosion was caused by a Ukrainian shell, the U.S. defense confirms that away from the Moscow coast, it would have been within the range of Ukrainian Neptune missiles.

Flagship of the Russian Navy; A symbol for Ukraine

The Russian naval cruiser “Moscow” is its flagship and a significant loss for Russia at the key moment of the attack on Ukraine. At the beginning of the invasion, it was strategically located at the head of a naval attack in the Black Sea. Loaded with anti-aircraft and anti-aircraft missiles, he had enough weapons to defeat the Ukrainian resistance.

Russian news agencies note that the 12,500-ton Moskva was armed with 16 cruise missiles with a range of at least 700 km.

According to Forbes, Moscow joined the Russian Navy in 1982, in addition to missiles, it was equipped with anti-aircraft guns and torpedoes.

After being used during the invasion of Crimea in 2014, it was deployed off the coast of Syria to support Russian troops. In 2016, it was overhauled and renovated, extending its lifespan by another ten years.

The Russian navy has launched cruise missiles from Ukraine into the Black Sea, and its ships are crucial to supporting ground operations in the south of the country, where the battle for control of Mariupol and other eastern Donbass continues.

Moscow became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance a day after the start of the Russian invasion. The military attack from the ship was aimed at soldiers guarding an island in the Black Sea known as Snake Island, 40 kilometers from NATO territory.

The Ukrainian navy was threatened by the Russian navy, which even warned that if they did not lay down their arms, they would bomb. “Russian ship, go to hell.” It was the response of a Ukrainian officer who took the floor.

This phrase became a kind of phrase that appeared on T-shirts, billboards and road signs. The Ukrainian government has also released a commemorative ring depicting a soldier brushing a Russian ship.