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Here’s Russian Warship Moskva Right Before Sinking in the Black Sea

Moskva, the largest warship and the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, sunk on April 14, 2020. The cause of the incident remains unclear, with Russia and Ukraine maintaining different versions of events.
Warship Moskva right before sinking in the Black Sea, April 14, 2022 8 photos
Photo: Twitter / @BormanIke
Warship Moskva right before sinking in the Black Sea, April 14, 2022Warship Moskva right before sinking in the Black Sea, April 14, 2022Guided missile cruiser Moscow fires a missileGuided missile cruiser Moscow fires a missileGuided missile cruiser Moscow fires a missileGuided missile cruiser Moscow fires a missileWarship Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, has sunk
But what is known with certainty is the Moskva (Moscow), the pride of the Russian Navy, is now at the bottom of the Black Sea. This is the biggest military incident in recent years and the first time a ship this size has been downed in (alleged) enemy fire since World War II.

Footage and a couple of blurry photos have emerged online, apparently showing the Moskva right before it sank. Their authenticity has not yet been verified independently, but if they’re not fakes, they seem to confirm Ukraine’s version of events: Moskva was downed by two Neptune missiles fired by the Ukrainian army from the coast.

The two photos are included in the gallery above and also in the video below. Both the photos and the 3-second footage seem to have been taken from a nearby vessel, presumably the tugboat that came to the warship’s rescue right after the attack. They show that all lifeboats were gone, which would indicate that at least some of the 510 crew were able to evacuate. They also show fire damage and billowing smoke, and the ship tilting to the side.

Kremlin’s version of events is that a fire broke out onboard Moskva and reached the ammunition storage. Moskva was left buoyant after the fire was put out but eventually sank as it was being towed to port for repairs. Kyiv, on the other hand, claims that the Ukrainian army hit the warship with two of its Neptune missiles and that it sank shortly afterward.

Whatever the cause of the incident, the loss of Moskva is a terrible blow for Russia. The Soviet-era warship was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, an impressive carrier that had been in service since the ‘80s. Last year, Russia brought it out for a string of exercises in the Black Sea as a means to show it was still as powerful and fearsome as ever.

With a total length of 558 feet (186.4 meters), Moskva could hit max speeds of 32 knots (37 mph / 59 kph) and had a range of 10,000 nm (12,000 miles / 19,000 km). It carried Vulkan anti-ship missiles, a helicopter, and anti-submarine and mine-torpedo weapons, all of which were on board when it went down.

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Editor's note: Photos in the gallery also show the Russian missile cruiser Moskva during 2021 military exercises in the Black Sea

About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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