The first captain Anton Kuprin, 44, died during an “explosion and fire in Moskva”, said Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, in the application Messenger Telegram. The flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet sank on Thursday while being towed to a port in stormy weather conditions after an explosion and fire on the ship, according to Russian news agencies, citing the Ministry of Defense. Moscow had earlier claimed that the crew of 500 people aboard the Soviet-era cruiser had been evacuated after the ship’s ammunition exploded, setting it on fire. However, the United States has confirmed Ukraine’s claim that it hit the warship with two Neptune anti-ship missiles. Russia, which has not acknowledged any attacks, said the incident was under investigation. “While the cruiser” Moskva “was being towed to the port of destination, the ship lost its stability due to damage to the hull by the fire,” the Ministry of Defense said. “In the stormy sea conditions, the ship sank,” he said. A senior US official said on Friday that they believed the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet had been hit by Ukrainian missiles. The senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was a missile against Neptune ships. The United States believes there have been Russian casualties, although the numbers are unclear, the official added. Russia, which has not acknowledged an attack, said its sinking was under investigation (REUTERS) The destruction of its missile cruiser prompted Moscow to threaten Ukraine with intensifying bombings and claimed that they had already destroyed a ship-laden missile plant. Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: “High-precision, long-range missiles based on the Kalibr Sea attacked a military installation on the outskirts of Kiev,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. “As a result of the attack on the Zhulyansky Vizar machine shop, laboratories for the production and repair of long-range and medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as anti-ship missiles, were destroyed,” he added. . “The number and scale of rocket attacks on objects in Kyiv will increase,” he said. This map shows the extent of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Pictures) In other news, the bodies of more than 900 civilians have been found in the Kyiv region following the withdrawal of Russian forces, the region’s police chief has said. Andriy Nebytov, head of the Kyiv regional police force, said the bodies had been abandoned on the streets or temporarily buried. About 95 percent died from the shootings, he added. “Consequently, we understand that under the occupation, people were simply executed on the streets,” Mr Nebytov said. More bodies are found every day, under rubble and in mass graves, he added. Most of the victims were found in Bucha, where there are more than 350 bodies, the police chief said. The Independent has a proud campaign history for the rights of the most vulnerable and we first launched our “Welcome Refugees” campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and start this report on In the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we call on the government to move faster and faster to secure aid. To learn more about our Refugee Campaign, click here. To sign the application click here. If you would like to donate, click here for our GoFundMe page.
