The main ship in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been disabled – there was an explosion as a result of a fire, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. Ukraine claims the missile cruiser was hit by one of its anti-ship missiles. More than 500 crew members who were on the Moskva were rescued, according to Russian information.
The Russian Defense Ministry explained that it was an accident – ammunition exploded on the ship. “The ship was badly damaged,” the ministry said through the Tass and Ria Nowosti news agencies. Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych offered a different version: the ship was hit by Ukrainian missiles, he said.
Odessa Governor Maksym Marchenko said Neptun missiles caused “significant damage” to the Russian ship. This Ukrainian own development has a range of 280 kilometers.
Warship immortalized on postage stamp
The ship has recently been immortalized on a Ukrainian postage stamp. Ukrainian soldiers defending the small island of Snakes off the coast of the Black Sea spoke out in no uncertain terms for the crew of the Moskva as they approached their base. “F*** you!” a soldier had stated. After being freed from Russian captivity, the Ukrainian was celebrated as a hero. The incident was documented on a postage stamp: in the front a Ukrainian soldier with middle finger, in the background the missile cruiser.
In 1983 the Moskva entered service with the Black Sea Fleet, which was then Soviet. It was equipped with 16 Vulkan anti-ship cruise missiles with a range of at least 700 kilometers.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
