According to Russia’s defense ministry, a Russian vessel that was damaged by an explosion on Wednesday has sunk.
According to a ministry message, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Moskva, was being hauled to port when it sank due to “stormy waves.”
A senior US defense official confirmed on Friday that the Russian missile cruiser that was damaged in a fire on Thursday was attacked and sunk by Ukrainian missile attacks. Russia and Ukraine both claimed responsibility for the ship’s sinking.
The ship was hit by two Neptune missiles, according to a defense source, and there are likely casualties, according to NPR.
The 510-crew missile cruiser, which led Russia’s naval attack on Ukraine, was a symbol of the country’s military might. Kyiv claims that its rockets struck the cruiser. According to the United States, it was also targeted by Ukrainian missiles.
Meanwhile, Moscow has denied any attack, claiming that the ship sank due to a fire.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, a fire broke out on board, causing armaments to detonate and forcing the evacuation of the ship’s crew of roughly 500 people.
However, Ukraine claimed responsibility, claiming that two Neptune anti-ship missiles were fired at the vessel roughly 60 miles off the coast of Odesa.
According to Russia, the conflagration caused the warship’s ammunition to explode, and the whole crew was eventually evacuated to adjacent Russian boats in the Black Sea.
