One of the largest Russian warships sank in the Black Sea after a fire and an explosion. According to Ukrainian accounts, the cruiser Moskva was hit by two anti-ship missiles.
The Russian cruiser Moskva sank in the Black Sea on Wednesday, possibly after a missile hit.
With the loss of the cruiser Moskva, Russian forces in Ukraine have suffered another serious blow. The flagship of the Black Sea Fleet sank Thursday evening after a fire broke out and munitions exploded on board off the Ukrainian port city of Odessa. The attempt to tow the badly damaged ship into a port in stormy seas failed. It was initially unclear whether the 500-man crew of the guided missile cruiser could get to safety in time.
There were different statements about the causes of the disaster: the Ukrainian side said on Thursday that the 184-meter-long cruiser had been hit by two Neptun anti-ship missiles off Odessa. A Pentagon representative in Washington confirmed this version on Friday. That Ministry of Defense in Moscow On the other hand, he kept a low profile on the cause and only explained that a fire had led to the explosion of ammunition on board.
In the afternoon, the ministry still claimed that the fire had been extinguished and that the ship was being taken to a port for repairs. The Pentagon also confirmed that the guided missile cruiser was still maneuverable. Late in the evening, however, Russia reported that the “Moskva” had sunk in a storm. Accordingly, the crew was able to leave the ship. A Ukrainian army spokeswoman, on the other hand, said on Friday that the crew could not be rescued.
The American naval expert H.I. Sutton pointed this outthat the cruiser’s movements had followed a fairly predictable pattern over the past few weeks. The ship, built in 1979, also had no modern missile defense systems. The Ukrainian Neptune missiles have a range of around 280 kilometers. They are a further development of an older type and were only put into service by Ukraine in 2021.
The other Russian warships in the Black Sea will now be forced to take additional defensive measures. On Friday, several ships were already moving away from the coast.
Designed to hunt aircraft carriers
The “Moskva” has been cruising off Odessa since the beginning of the war. The Slava-class ship was part of a larger formation there that was used to blockade the Ukrainian port city. Armed with several dozen S-300F anti-aircraft missiles, it played an important role in sealing off the airspace. It also had a powerful radar. According to Sutton the “Moskva” did not participate at the periodic rocket fire of Odessa.
Unlike more modern warships, the “Moskva” had no missiles that could be used against land targets. As a Slava-class cruiser, the “Moskva” was developed in the 1970s to hunt down NATO aircraft carriers. It therefore had 16 Vulcan anti-ship missiles at its disposal. In the current war, these played no role, since Ukraine has hardly any ships of its own since the annexation of Crimea and the loss of almost its entire fleet.
The pride of the Russian Navy
Despite the limited military importance of the «Moskva», its loss is a severe blow to Russia. If Ukraine managed to hit the ship with rockets, this is its second successful attack on a Russian warship: on March 24, the landing ship “Orsk” in the port of Berdyansk caught fire, presumably after a Ukrainian rocket hit and such badly damaged that it sank.
At that time, too, the Russian side said that an accident while unloading ammunition led to the fire. But the outbreak of fire on warships is extremely rare. Such an accident would be scarcely less serious than a missile hit, for it would show a horrific lack of professionalism. In any case, the Russian Navy will have to ask itself whether its aging Soviet-era warships are still up to date.
“Russian warship, fuck off!”
The loss of the “Moskva” should have given the Ukrainians particular satisfaction, since it was the cruiser that prompted the Ukrainian garrison on the strategically important Snake Island to surrender on the first day of the war. This became a symbol of the will to resist when she answered by radio: “Russian warship, fuck off!” The Ukrainians were taken prisoner, but were later exchanged for captured Russians.
It was also «Moskva», created in March 2014 after the Russian occupation of Crimea had blocked the Ukrainian naval base there. As a result, the Ukrainian warships could not leave Crimea and were later taken over by Russia. In its more than 40-year history, the “Moskva” has taken part in various military operations, including in Syria. She was also involved in the 2008 war in Georgia. It is said to have been damaged by a rocket at the time, but survived the hit.