Ukraine says Moskva’s fate was sealed by a missile strike fired by its forces off the coast, which opened the hull of a massive Soviet-era ship.
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The Russian Defense Ministry has not confirmed this version of events. Reuters is unable to verify either side’s allegations. A senior U.S. defense official says the U.S. believes the Russian submarine-propelled grenade launcher was hit by at least one Ukrainian anti-ship missile, according to the Kiev government. The story goes on under the ad Pentagon officials had previously said they could not confirm the Ukrainian allegation, but also did not deny it. A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the report, said Moskva had been hit by at least one and possibly two Neptune missiles on Wednesday, setting the ship on fire. The official did not give further details than that the US believes that the Russians suffered a number of casualties on board. See what we know and what (and does not mean) the immersion in Russia’s combat readiness:
What possibilities does the sinking deprive Russia of?
Russia has strong air defense systems developed in Crimea, which it occupied from Ukraine in 2014, but Moskva was able to provide long-range and mobile air defense protection for the entire Black Sea Fleet and was a floating command and control center. . The story goes on under the ad This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the cruiser Moskva in the port of Sevastopol in the Crimea on April 7. Satellite image © 2022 Maxar Technologies via AP Its loss degrades the fleet’s air defenses, especially in longer missions.
What happened to the crew?
The ship had a crew of about 500 sailors who Russia said were successfully evacuated to other ships before returning to their home port of Sevastopol in Crimea on Friday. The story goes on under the ad
Read more: Russian warship Moskva sinks after fire, marking major setback in Ukraine war
Ukraine has suggested there may have been casualties, but Russia has not said anything about it yet.
Will the loss change the course of the war in Ukraine?
Unbelievable, but the British Ministry of Defense says that its loss is likely to push Russia to reconsider its naval position in the Black Sea. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that while the sinking would have a symbolic impact and possibly raise questions about Russia’s long-term naval capabilities, it was unlikely to have a significant impact on the course of the conflict. The Russian navy has not played a major role so far. An archive photo dated November 15, 2013 shows the Russian Navy’s cruise missile cruiser, Moscow, passing through the Dardanelles Strait in Canakkale, Turkey. Russia’s Defense Ministry says a fire broke out in the Moscow naval cruiser on April 14, while Ukrainian officials say it was hit by a rocket. Burak Akay / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A U.S. official said Russia had used only a handful of warships to make occasional strikes and to supply troops to the south. Russia maintains naval dominance in the immediate area and Moskva was equipped to destroy enemy ships at sea, but little remains of the Ukrainian navy. Trending Stories
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Will the Russian Navy change its mode of operation now, and does that matter?
Yes, it will be done, but this change is not considered extremely important. Following the start of the fire in Moskva, which US officials believe may have been a Ukrainian attack, about five Russian warships in the northern Black Sea have moved more than 80 nautical miles offshore.
Read more: Russia fires on warship Moskva as Ukraine claims rocket attack
However, US officials said they believed these ships were still capable of hitting Ukraine from this distance and were less likely to be targeted by Ukrainians far off the coast. The Institute for War Studies (ISW), a Washington-based think tank, said the Ukrainian military’s ability to strike Russian warships in the Black Sea could force the Russian navy to develop additional air defense and other means. . The story goes on under the ad
Was Moscow destined for a role in the conflict?
It is not clear, but some analysts say it may have helped support a possible Russian landing of amphibians in the Ukrainian port of Odessa, which has not yet happened due to resistance from Ukrainian forces. In this archive photo provided by the Press Service of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian Navy Moskva patrol patrols the Mediterranean Sea off the Syrian coast on December 17, 2015. The Press Service of the Russian Ministry of Defense via AP Its sinking can be seen in some quarters in Ukraine as reducing the chances of such an attack and allowing Ukraine to redeploy some of its forces elsewhere. The story goes on under the ad
Can Russia easily replace Moskva’s capabilities?
No. Russia has two other ships of the same class, the Marshal Ustinov and the Varyag, which serve the Russian fleet in the North and Pacific respectively. Turkey, which controls access to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus, will not allow them to enter a period of war.
Was Moscow armed with unique weapons?
No. It had anti-ship missiles and surface-to-air missiles, but was not equipped with Russia’s latest Kalibr cruise missiles or supersonic missiles. The story goes on under the ad
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How modern was the ship?
Not much. Designed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s during the Cold War, it was designed to destroy American aircraft carriers and had been in service for nearly four decades. It underwent extensive repairs and according to the British Ministry of Defense, it returned to working condition only in 2021. Despite this repair, part of its material remained obsolete.
How big a blow is it to Russian military pride?
It is a bitter loss for the Russian army as the ship, although old, was a symbol of the Black Sea-based fleet in Crimea and of Russian military pride. If pierced by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, it would be the largest Russian warship lost in action since 1941, when German diving bombers crashed the Soviet battleship Marat in the port of Kronshtadt. The story goes on under the ad The sinking, whether by Ukrainian missile strikes or by misfortune, “is a major propaganda victory for Ukraine,” an ISW assessment said. Western diplomats and experts expect senior Black Sea Fleet officers to lose their jobs due to the sinking. – Report by Reuters reporters and Idrees Ali and Jonathan Landay in Washington. With files from the Associated Press
