Ukraine's Navy Commander has described the details of the damage to the Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva. Although a hit by two missiles seemed unlikely, a combination of several factors led to its sinking.
This was reported by Krym.Realii.
According to Ukrainian Navy Commander Oleksiy Neizhpapa, there were only two missiles to sink the cruiser and the probability of hitting was very low.
The missile hit the galley, which is the largest room on the cruiser, with the engine room under it. The forward engine room was located near the ship's central command post.
In addition, the ammunition of the AK-630 gun detonated, which probably significantly increased the damage. The second missile hit the stern, causing further damage. Due to the three-point storm, the crew had a hard time fighting for the ship's survival, which eventually sank.
According to Oleksiy Neizhpapa, this success was not only tactical but also symbolic: it was not just a cruiser, but the main ship of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea.
Now Ukraine is the only country in the world that has destroyed a missile cruiser during the war. So far, we are the first to do so," noted Neizhpapa.
The naval commander added that "all the conflicts that Russia has been waging from the sea started with this cruiser."
The Moskva cruiser, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, was sunk in mid-April 2022. According to the Ukrainian military, the ship was hit by two Neptune anti-ship missiles. As a result of the strike, ammunition detonated on board, causing serious damage to the ship.
Initially, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the cruiser remained buoyant and the fire on board was localized. However, later it was officially confirmed that the ship sank due to a storm while being towed to Sevastopol.
For a long time, the Russian side did not disclose information about the losses. Only nine days after the attack, they reported that one sailor was killed on board, 27 went missing, and 396 crew members were evacuated. On April 22, 2022, the then Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, estimated that Russia was able to rescue 58 of the 510 people on board.
The Moscow cruiser became famous thanks to a phrase by a Ukrainian border guard that became a meme.
Recently, Ukrainian Prymary drones have successfully destroyed Russian radar stations and military equipment in Crimea, causing the occupiers multimillion-dollar losses. This significantly weakens their ability to detect air and surface threats. The total cost of the destroyed facilities is estimated at tens of millions of dollars.
In addition, the Russian army in the temporarily occupied Crimea could not recover for several days after a powerful attack carried out by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Precision strikes by the Ukrainian military caused serious losses to enemy air defense systems and command posts, demonstrating their vulnerability.
Анна Літман