The first verified images of the wrecked cruiser, which show it leaning into the water with its back deck on fire, appeared a few days after Ukraine said it had sunk the ship in a rocket attack. Although the Kremlin has acknowledged the loss of the ship, it continues to claim that the ship was destroyed by an explosion on the ship and not by enemy weapons. Sidharth Kaushal, a marine energy researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), confirmed that the latest photos show that Moscow has been hit by fire. “I looked at the pictures and they are from Moscow,” he told the Independent. “The placement of the radar (visible in the photo), the canisters for surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles and the hull seem to confirm that it is a Slava-class cruiser – and therefore must be the Moskva.” Moscow has not commented on the authenticity of the images. While both Ukraine and Russia agree that Moskva sank, their reports on how it was destroyed differ. The Operational Administration of Southern Ukraine claimed on Thursday that Moskva began to occupy water after being hit by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles Neptune. “In the Black Sea operational zone, cruise missiles against the Neptune ships hit the cruiser Moskva, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet – suffered significant damage,” the statement said. “A fire broke out. “Other units of the ship’s crew tried to help, but a storm and a powerful explosion of ammunition overturned the cruiser and began to sink.” Russia, however, claimed that a board of an ammunition depot had exploded, causing severe damage to the ship. This version of events has been rejected by a senior US defense official, citing military intelligence. It is not known how many Russian sailors died in Moskva. However, the Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that at least 40 people had been killed and others were still missing. The sinking of the crucial warship was a huge blow to the Russian army, which has been fighting the fierce Ukrainian resistance since its forces invaded the country on February 24.