Russian officials on Thursday confirmed that one of the Russian Navy’s most important warships has sunk in the Black Sea. This is the first time the Russian Navy has lost a flagship since the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.
Russian state news agency TASS reported Thursday night that the guided-missile cruiser Moskva had been sunk, citing a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry.
“During the process of towing the cruiser Moskva to the port of destination, the ship lost its stability due to damage to the hull in a fire caused by the explosion of ammunition. In stormy sea conditions, the ship sank,” the statement said, according to TASS.
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Governor of the Russian-occupied city of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev on Friday said the cruiser is a true icon.
According to Reuters. Moscow now says the warship crashed after a fire on board caused the explosion.
According to some reports, like one from CNN, a giant Soviet-era missile cruiser was sunk after it was hit by two Ukrainian-made Neptune R-360 cruise missiles.
“In the area of operations in the Black Sea, the Neptune anti-ship cruise missile hit the cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet – it caused significant damage,” the command said in a statement. Southern combat of Ukraine said. “A fire broke out. Other units of the ship’s group tried to help, but a storm and a powerful ammunition explosion overturned the cruiser and it began to sink. ”
Ukraine’s RK-360 Neptune coastal missile system consists of 6 USPU-360 launchers with 24 R-360 cruise missiles. Missile R-360 has a weight of 870 kg; its warhead weight is 150 kg; Its launch range is up to 280 km and speed is about 900 km/h. It can be reached from 3 m to 10 m above the surface.
The complex can simultaneously launch 24 missiles, that is, a full series of 6 launchers, with a launch interval in a single launch of 3 to 5 seconds.
Ukraine’s Neptun cruise missile can be located at a distance of up to 25 km from the coast and its deployment lasts up to 15 minutes.
The Neptun R-360 missile is generally similar to the Kh-35, however, the Ukrainian manufacturers have significantly improved the missile’s range and electronics. The new rocket has a longer fuselage with more fuel, a larger booster and several other modifications.
