War in Ukraine: possible images of the “Moskva” before its sinking published, the toll of the Russian crew remains unknown


War between Ukraine and Russiacase

The “Guardian” publishes the testimony of the mother of a conscript sailor, who claims to have been informed by the Russian Ministry of Defense of the death of her son.

Images and a video released this Monday morning on social networks show a burning ship, which strongly resembles the Moscow, Russian missile cruiser which sank last weekend in the waters of the Black Sea, signing a terrible failure for the Kremlin. According to the Times, the photos were taken on April 14, the day after the Neptune missiles claimed by Ukraine were fired at the ship. We see thick black smoke emanating from the boat and, in the video clip, which lasts three seconds, the Moskva lies while a tug sails ahead.

Interviewed by the BBC, naval expert Jonathan Bentham, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, believes that the visible damage suffered by the cruiser is compatible with a Neptune missile attack, without however excluding other causes: “The smoke marks on the port side appear to be near the waterline. This could indicate sea shaving missiles, which would be Neptune missiles.”

“I’m sure he’s not the only one who died”

For several days, Kyiv and Moscow have been opposing their versions of the sinking. Ukraine assures that the cruiser was attacked by its army, the governor of the Odessa region specifying that Neptune missiles, brand new anti-ship weapons, would have inflicted“significant damage” to Moskva. Moscow, for its part, maintains that an accidental fire on board the ship caused the explosion of a reserve of ammunition. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Moskva sank while being towed to Sevastopol in rough seas. The images released on Monday show calm seas.

Russia also assured that the crew, made up of more than 500 men, had been evacuated before the sinking, without reporting any casualties. On Saturday, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video presented as showing a meeting between the head of the navy and survivors of the cruiser. In this clip of about thirty seconds, we see a few dozen men in sailor uniforms lined up at attention in front of the head of the navy, Nikolaï Yévménov. “The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov, and the Commander of the Black Sea Fleet met with the crew of the cruiser Moskva in Sevastopol”, in Crimea, the ministry said in a statement.

But the Guardian quoted in an article Yulia Tsyvova, whose son Andrei officiated on the ship. This Monday morning, the mother received a call from the Russian Ministry of Defense informing her that her son was dead. “He was only 19, he was a conscript, said Yulia Tsyvova to the Guardian. They didn’t tell me anything else, no information about the date of the funeral. I’m sure he’s not the only one who died.” The newspaper also claims that many families of sailors are demanding answers from the ministry, which is trying to suppress any mention of what happened to the Moskva.





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