A satellite image shows a Russian warship Moscow in the port of Sevastopol, Crimea on April 7. (Satellite image © 2022 Maxar Technologies)
Controversial reports have surfaced from Russians and Ukrainians about an incident with a Russian warship in the Black Sea.
No evidence has emerged to support either claim, and CNN is unable to verify whatever happened.
What the Russians say: Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the warship Moscow had been evacuated after a fire aboard detonated munitions that severely damaged the ship, according to Russian state media.
What Ukrainians say: Hours earlier, Odessa regional administrator Maxim Marchenko said in a Telegram post that Ukrainian forces had hit the ship with Neptune missiles, causing severe damage.
Bad weather: Due to major storms over the Black Sea, obscuring satellite imagery and sensor satellite data, CNN was unable to visually confirm that the ship was hit. Russia’s Defense Ministry has also not issued an official statement on its Telegram channel confirming the evacuation or fire on board.
Russia’s state media, TASS and RIA, reported that the ship’s crew had been evacuated and that the cause of the fire was still being determined. According to the Ministry of Defense, Moscow is a missile cruiser built and put into operation in 1982.
Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed the ship northwest of Sevastopol, Crimea on April 10.
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