Russia’s defense ministry says it is investigating what happened to its flagship cruiser, Moscow, after Ukraine said it hit the ship with an anti-ship missile, forcing its crew to leave the ship.
The ministry denied reports that the warship had sunk to the bottom of the Black Sea. It said Moscow had “delayed buoyancy”, the fires were extinguished and the crew transferred to another ship.
Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s chief spokesman, failed to give a reason for the warship’s explosion, saying: “I can’t tell you anything. This is a topic for the Ministry of Defense. “
Ukraine’s Southern Military Command said on Thursday that it had hit Moscow with a Neptune missile and that the ship had begun to sink. The fire broke out after the explosion of the rocket, writes on Facebook.
It added that four Russian ships that had gone to rescue Moscow had been hampered by stormy weather and the detonation of ammunition on board. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the missile cruiser turned upside down and began to sink.
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The apparent attack – 50 days after Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine – is a symbolic blow to the Kremlin. “Moscow” was the pride of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the most prestigious ship involved in the war in Ukraine.
Rumors circulating in Moscow suggest that Putin refrained from landing on the beach and attacking the Ukrainian port of Odessa because he wanted to keep Moscow out of danger.
Cheering Ukrainians celebrated the visible end of the ship on social media.
Satellite image shows a view of Moscow northwest of Sevastopol, Crimea, on April 10. Photo: Maxar Technologies / Reuters
“Moscow” became famous at the beginning of the war, when the crew demanded the surrender of Ukrainian forces on Snake Island, which provoked a response from the island’s border guards: “Fuck you, Russian warship.”
I’m not sure you’re all aware of that – that iconic “Russian warship, fuck you” was originally addressed to the cruiser “Moscow” pic.twitter.com/vCk75OwV7a
– Ilia Ponomarenko @ (@IAPonomarenko) April 14, 2022
The phrase instantly became a symbol of national disobedience and is now a universal meme. It appeared on a new national postage stamp, as well as on checkpoints, shop windows, Ukrainian military vehicles and personal cars.
“Moscow”, whose crew is 510 people, was evacuated after setting fire to ammunition, according to the Russian news agency “Interfax”. He was refused to say what caused the fire.
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Put into service in 1983, the ship is armed with 16 Vulkan anti-ship cruise missiles with a range of at least 440 miles (700 km). He also reportedly carried S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, which are crucial to Russia’s air superiority over Crimea and Ukraine’s Kherson region, now occupied by Russian troops.
Russian state media reported that the entire crew was safe. Referring to the Ministry of Defense, he said that measures are being taken to tow the cruiser to the port. No damage has been released so far.
“The source of the fire on the cruiser” Moscow “is located. There is no open fire. The explosions of ammunition have been stopped, “the Ministry of Defense was quoted as saying by the state agency Tass.
Maxim Marchenko, Ukraine’s governor of the Odessa region, said Moscow had been hit by two Ukrainian anti-ship cruise missiles. “The Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea have caused very serious damage,” he said.
“It has been confirmed that today the missile cruiser” Moscow “went exactly where it was sent by our border guards to Snake Island.”
Alexei Arestovich, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said: “It is burning hard at the moment. And with this stormy sea, it is not known whether they will be able to get help. “
In the tweet, Arestovic joked that the warship had made a “negative ascent” not far from Snake Island. He cited an interview with Putin in 2000, when Russia’s new president was asked what had happened to the Kursk submarine. Putin replied: “It sank.”
A satellite image shows the missile cruiser Moscow in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on April 7. Photo: AP
The reported attack came hours after Ukraine’s allies tried to garner new support for the country.
During a visit with leaders from three other countries on Russia’s doorstep who fear they may fall into Moscow’s sights, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said: “The struggle for Europe’s future is happening here.
Russia’s navy has launched cruise missiles in Ukraine, and its activities in the Black Sea are crucial to supporting ground operations in the south, where it is struggling to gain full control of the port of Mariupol.
Russian forces withdrew from some northern parts of Ukraine after suffering heavy losses and failing to capture the capital, Kyiv. Ukraine and its Western allies say Moscow is redistributing itself to a new offensive in the east.
Moscow has led a significant Russian naval presence in the Black Sea, threatening Ukraine’s southern coast and key ports. This was one of the main focuses of the Kremlin’s military efforts and is aimed at cutting off Ukraine’s access to the sea and creating a land bridge from the Crimean peninsula to the Russian border.
The news of the flagship’s damage overshadowed Russia’s claims of progress in Mariupol, where they have been battling the Ukrainian army since the first days of the invasion of one of the war’s worst battles – at a terrifying cost to civilians.
Igor Konashenkov, chief spokesman for Russia’s Defense Ministry, said on Wednesday that 1,026 servicemen from Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade had surrendered to a metal factory in the city.
But Vadim Denisenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, dismissed the claim, telling Current Time TV: “The battle for the seaport continues today.”
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