New images posted online allegedly show Russia’s Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, on fire before it sank.
Few details have been released about the sinking of the Russian guided-missile cruiser in the Black Sea last week. While Pentagon and Ukrainian officials said missiles struck the ship, Russians claimed a fire destroyed it. New images could offer a clue about the ship’s fate.
Low-resolution photos of a vessel some say is the Moskva were posted early Monday by a Telegram channel that claims to be a Ukrainian signals intelligence resource. The photo, which features a smoking vessel that appears to be on fire, quickly spread across social media.
Looks like a legit photo of the Moskva after it was struck by Ukrainian Neptun anti-ship missiles. https://t.co/oVYDySpcd8
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) April 17, 2022
Neither Russian nor Ukrainian officials have confirmed the photo’s authenticity.
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Ukrainian missiles hit the Moskva on Thursday, forcing the crew to evacuate, according to Ukrainian officials. The ship sank into the Black Sea on Friday, according to Russian reports. While Russia’s Defense Ministry said the ship was damaged after ammunition detonated during an on-vessel fire, Pentagon officials affirmed Ukraine’s claim that it had struck the vessel with two Neptune missiles.
The ship’s destruction was a “big blow” to Russia’s attempt to establish “naval dominance” in the Black Sea, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
Russia released images on Saturday of what it claimed to be the former crew of the Moskva on parade in the port city of Sevastopol.
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The assault on Ukraine continued to escalate on Monday when at least seven people were killed after Russian forces launched a missile barrage at the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
