Russia acknowledged and stated the reason why the warship participating in the operation in Ukraine sank

On April 14, according to news from the Ministry of National Defense Russia, the missile cruiser Moscow – flagship of the Black Sea Fleet participating in the military operation in Ukraine – sank when towed into port in stormy sea conditions. The hull of the warship was damaged by an explosion in the ammunition depot due to a fire on board the ship on April 13.

“While being towed to the destination port, due to damage to the hull, the cruiser Moscow lost its stability. In the sea conditions there were stormthe ship has sunk,” – RT quoted information from the Russian Defense Ministry said on the evening of April 14.

The missile cruiser was believed to be about 90 kilometers south of the Ukrainian city of Odessa when a fire broke out on board. According to the Russian military, this caused the ammunition depots to explode and damaged the hull.

The cruiser’s crew was evacuated by the ships of Black Sea Fleet nearby, and tugs were dispatched to tow the 12,490-ton ship to Crimea for repairs.

By the morning of April 14, Moscow said the fire had been extinguished, the ship was on its way to the port for repairs. The incident was not mentioned again during the regular meeting on military operations in Ukraine later in the day. Officials said the warship’s missiles were not affected by the fire.

The Atlant-class guided missile cruisers, commissioned in 1983, carry 16 anti-ship missiles, heavy air defense systems, as well as torpedoes and heavy artillery.

Some Ukrainian officials earlier said that an array of Neptune anti-ship missiles hidden in the area near the port town of Odessa successfully hit the Moscow ship twice, setting it on fire. However, Kiev did not provide evidence for these claims, while Moscow said the images of the burning ship circulating on social media were fake.

On the evening of April 14, the Pentagon commented on the incident, saying it could not confirm Ukraine’s statement. A US drone circled above the cruiser on April 14, monitoring the towing progress.

The Pentagon said there was “at least one explosion” on the Russian cruiser, an explosion that was “fairly large” and “caused significant damage”. The US military believes the ship was headed to the Crimean port of Sevastopol for repairs, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told CNN.

Last month, Ukraine claimed to have sunk the Russian patrol boat Vasily Bykov, however a few days later it appeared in Sevastopol unharmed.