The key warship Moskva leads Russia’s naval assault in Ukraine. The Russian state media says that an ammunition explosion has caused serious damage to the vessel; Ukraine claims its missiles hit the ship
The Moskva was the same warship which called on Ukrainian border troops defending the strategic Snake Island to surrender, only to be refused. AFP
In yet another setback to Russia in the war, its navy’s Black Sea flagship has been “seriously damaged”, according to the country’s state media.
There was an ammunition explosion, said Russia on Thursday. But Ukraine said it struck and damaged the warship.
What really happened? Here’s what we know so far
“As a result of a fire, ammunition detonated on the Moskva missile cruiser. The ship was seriously damaged,” the Russian defence ministry was quoted as saying, adding that the cause of the fire was being determined and that the crew had been evacuated, reports AFP.
Ukraine claims that its missiles damaged the warship.
The governor of Odessa said that Ukrainian forces had hit the Moskva with missile strikes. “Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage to the Russian ship. Glory to Ukraine,” Governor Maksym Marchenko wrote on Telegram.
Ukrainian presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych said that “a surprise happened” with the Moskva. “It burns strongly. Right now. And with this stormy sea, it is unknown whether they will be able to receive help,” he said in a YouTube broadcast.
“We don’t understand what happened.”
Reports on Telegram suggest the Russian warship has capsized. The information is being verified, reports Al Jazeera.
Why is the ship so significant?
The Moskva, which means Moscow in Russian, is the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, reportedly leading the naval assault in Ukraine. It is one of the largest warships in the fleet and damage to it could be a big blow to the Russian military.
It was originally built in the Soviet era in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv, and entered service in the early 1980s, according to Russian media.
With a crew of 510, it was previously deployed in the Syria conflict where it served as naval protection for the Russian forces’ Hmeimim airbase, reports AFP.
The 11,500-ton, 610-foot missile cruiser, laden with long-range guided missiles, played a key role in Russia’s air war against rebels in the Syrian civil war. Equipped with a powerful air defence system, the Moskva provided support to the Russian warplanes crisscrossing Syrian skies in an unrelenting schedule of sorties from the airbase, according to CNN.
The airstrikes routinely targeted hospitals, schools, and bread queues in the war-hit country.
The Moskva carries 16 P-1000 Vulkan anti-ship missiles as well as an array of anti-submarine and mine-torpedo weapons.
The Moskva Russian guided-missile cruiser was originally built in the Soviet era in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv, and entered service in the early 1980s. AFP
Moskva and the war in Ukraine
The Russian warship gained notoriety early in the war when it called on Ukrainian border troops defending the strategic Snake Island to surrender, only to be defiantly refused.
The island was hit by Russian missile strikes and Ukrainian defenders responded to the threat of invasion with the words: “Russian warship, go f*** yourself.”
The famous exchange in February hit headlines. The troops in question were initially believed to have been killed, but it emerged later that they were taken captive. They were released as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia in late March, according to the Ukrainian parliament.
The Moskva is the second major Russian ship known to have suffered serious damage since the beginning of the invasion on 24 February. Last month Ukraine said it had destroyed a landing support ship, the Orsk, on the smaller Sea of Azov, reports Reuters.
Russia says Mariupol has fallen
Meanwhile, Russia has said 1,026 soldiers from Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade, including 162 officers, had surrendered in Mariupol and that the city was fully under its control. Ukraine’s defence ministry spokesman said he had no information about a surrender.
Capturing the Azovstal industrial district where the marines have been holed up would give Russia control of Ukraine’s main Sea of Azov port, reinforce a southern land corridor and expand its occupation of the country’s east, according to the Reuters report.
With inputs from agencies
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