Damaged Russian warship sinks while under tow in Black Sea

The Russian Ministry of Defence has confirmed the loss of the guided missile cruiser Moskva as it was being towed to port following an onboard explosion that left it heavily damaged.

On Thursday, April 14, Russian defence officials said that Moskva floundered in storm-hit waters in the Black Sea and sank while under tow to an unnamed port.

Officials earlier disclosed that a blaze ignited on board the 12,490-tonne cruiser, resulting in the detonation of its ammunition. The crew of over 500 were evacuated to nearby Russian Navy vessels shortly afterwards.

Russian government sources have not provided additional details on the cause of the incident that ultimately resulted in the loss of the ship, which was providing support for invasion forces in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

On Wednesday, April 13, Ukrainian officials claimed that the Russian cruiser was damaged in a successful strike by Neptune anti-ship missiles launched from shore near Odessa about 60 nautical miles away. However, no concrete evidence of this claim has yet been made public by either country.