Russia’s defense ministry says a missile cruiser in Moscow is still on the surface. The damage to the flagship is still a bad setback for the Russian armed forces.
For the Russian armed forces, the attack on Ukraine has marked a series of setbacks. They now extend to the seafront as well.
An explosion on the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship in Moscow occurred early Thursday. The large warship was badly damaged when the projectiles on board exploded in a fire.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the entire Moscow crew has been evacuated. The missile cruiser serves more than 500 sailors.
It is not known whether the blast claimed casualties. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the cause of the fire is being investigated.
Ukraine says it was hit by Neptune missiles
According to Ukraine, the missiles fired by its armed forces caused damage to the cruiser. Governor of the coastal city of Odessa Maksym Marchenko said two Ukrainian-made Neptune naval missiles hit the ship.
According to the Ukrainian armed forces, Moscow is sinking. Information on the missile strike or the risk of the ship sinking could not be confirmed from independent sources.
According to Russian news agencies, the ship had 16 anti-ship cruise missiles with a range of at least 700 kilometers.
The 186-meter cruiser was built in the early 1980s in the Soviet Union. The original name of the ship named after the Russian capital was “Slava”, which means honor.
Moscow was considered the pride of the navy
According to the news agency Interfax, the former Russian admiral described the Moscow cruiser as the strongest ship in the Black Sea Fleet last year.
Bielieskov described the Moscow cruiser as already old. According to him, cruise missiles aimed at Ukraine have been fired from newer ships.
The Moscow missile cruiser also took part in Russia’s war in Syria in the past.
Ukraine wants naval missiles from the West
Ukraine has appealed to NATO countries for missiles against naval targets. The Russian Black Sea Fleet has besieged the Ukrainian coast and threatens the important coastal city of Odessa.
The Moscow cruiser, now suffering heavy damage, went public at the beginning of the war, when a guard station on the Snake Islands in Ukraine defiantly rejected a demand for surrender by a Russian warship.
The ensuing clash also led to a publicity game. Ukraine initially reported the collapse of all border guards. President Volodymyr Zelenskyi however, said later that some would have survived.
However, the Ukrainian Post Office had time to honor the event by issuing a stamp on the subject.