Russian state television reports that World War III has already begun after the sinking of Moskva. The main spokesman of the Kremlin propaganda collapsed last night after the removal of the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet. Officials have refused to acknowledge Ukraine’s claims that the ship was hit by cruise missiles, an operation that would be one of Kiev’s biggest military successes since the invasion began. But despite Russia’s insistence that it be sunk by fire, the Ukrainian capital was hit by rockets overnight, a sign that Vladimir Putin wants revenge for the demolition of a valuable naval asset. The city has survived bombing raids by Russian troops since Russian troops withdrew from the north, but there have been strikes against Kiev, Kharkov and further west. Russia 1, a pro-Kremlin spokesman for the war, came close to acknowledging that Ukraine had sunk Moscow, demanding an overwhelming response. Olga Skabeyeva, one of Vladimir Putin’s top propagandists, told viewers that Western support for Ukraine amounted to a direct confrontation with Russia, saying: “What has escalated can safely be called World War III. This is absolutely certain. “Now we are definitely fighting against NATO infrastructure, if not NATO itself. We have to recognize that. “ So the Ukrainian army says the operation to dismantle Moscow unfolded (Image: Metro) The cruise missile was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the naval force aimed at the south of Ukraine (Image: Reuters) with Vladimir Putin Egyptian leader Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in Moscow in 2014 (Image: Reuters) A guest on the show likened the sinking of Moskva to an attack on Russian soil, despite the Kremlin’s insistence that the ship collapse due to fire. He also used the word “war”, which was banned in Russia, and had to be reminded of the government-approved term “special military operation”, adding that Kyiv must be destroyed. Russia has previously stated that it considers the supply of weapons to Ukraine to be a legitimate goal. The Kremlin also responded angrily to the news that Sweden and Finland were going to apply for NATO membership in response to the invasion. Pro-Ukrainian sources say Moskva was destroyed in an operation using drones to confuse missile defense systems. MORE: The battle for Mariupol could be decided in a few days, but the Ukrainian fighters insist With its cannons detached from the drone hovering above it, two Neptune cruise missiles were fired from land and struck the side of the warship port. The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a Kremlin-affiliated ammunition depot, setting it on fire. Russia says all 500 crew members have been evacuated, but there may be casualties. It is the largest ship to be sunk in battle since the Royal Navy sailed the Belgrano during the Falklands War and the most significant naval accident since World War II. Contact our news team by emailing us at [email protected] For more stories like this, check out our news page.
