Few details about what happened to the Moskva since it sank off the coast of Ukraine last week have been revealed, and the images, if authentic, are the first photos or videos of the stricken vessel, a 186-meter-long missile cruiser that was leading Russia"s Black Sea Fleet in the war on Ukraine.
The photos appear consistent with an anti-ship missile strike. The most detailed image shows two holes amidships at the waterline, just below the stacks on the port side. Significant fire damage can be seen above decks. Black smoke marks at multiple hull penetrations near the main deck level are consistent with an internal fire running aft of the impact site.
The images of the burning warship first surfaced shortly after midnight on a Telegram messaging app channel that bills itself as a Ukrainian Signal intelligence resource. It was quickly shared by other Telegram accounts and on other social media.
While Russia claims its naval flagship sank during efforts to tow it to safety following an ammunition fire, Ukrainian military officials have said it was struck by Neptune missiles fired from Ukraine.
Moskva was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, and she was the most prominent surface combatant lost in action since the end of the Second World War. The Russian Navy has released little information about the circumstances of her sinking where the weather and sea state do not match with what was said. Unlike Russian claims, whether seems to be fine.
The damage to the vessel shows two things; Two anti-ship missiles strike the ship. They were most probably Neptune anti-ship missiles. Russia does not entirely deny this reality. They do not mention the reason for the fire; however, they start talking about the ammunition in the fire. Secondly, the damage to the vessel does not appear to be critical. The most dangerous missiles are intact. The level of fire must be less than what we had anticipated considering the missiles on board. The photos show that the Russian Navy is not well trained to extinguish a fire on board. With this level of damage, the sinking of the ship raises the possibility that the training level of the personnel is low.
