A Ukrainian navy missile battery reportedly has struck the Russian navy cruiser Moskva off the coast of Odessa, a strategic port city on the Black Sea in southwest Ukraine.

Multiple Ukrainian government officials claimed Wednesday that a Neptune anti-ship battery, apparently hidden in or around Odessa, scored two hits on Moskva, setting the 612-foot vessel ablaze.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyiv, announced the strike. So did Maksym Marchenko, head of the administration in Odessa. “Neptune missiles … caused very serious damage to the Russian ship,” Marchenko said.

An audio recording, purportedly of Ukrainian troops reporting the attack on the cruiser, circulated on social media.

Russian state media confirmed the ship was on fire and the crew evacuated, but blamed the blaze on an accidental ammunition explosion.

It’s possible Moscow is trying to muddy the waters, so to speak, in order to rob Kyiv of an information victory.

To be fair, Ukrainian sources more than once have reported hits on Russian warships blockading Odessa and other ports since Russia widened its war on Ukraine starting the night of Feb. 23.

Just one report is verified. Ukrainian troops in the besieged city of Mariupol in late March scored a hit on a Russian patrol boat using an old anti-tank guided missile.

Compared to a Konkurs ATGM, Neptune is a much more sophisticated and, to Russian sailors, dangerous weapon. But the pre-war Ukrainian navy probably possessed just one Neptune battery out of the half-dozen or so it planned to induct this spring.

A Neptune battery includes a truck-mounted launcher with four rounds, a command truck and a pair of resupply trucks plus links to a mobile Mineral-U radar with a 370-mile range.

If the Ukrainians really did hit Moskva with a Neptune or two, it means they first managed to cobble together, man and deploy at least one complete battery with all its supporting systems—all in the middle of a devastating war.

It also means they fed accurate targeting data to the battery, via a drone, land-based radar or some other sensor. None of this is easy, but it’s certainly possible.

Still, the claimed attack on Moskva, if confirmed, would be consistent with the course of the broader naval campaign. The Russian Black Sea Fleet, of which the Moskva is the flagship, controls the waters around Ukraine but has been unable totally to suppress Ukraine’s coastal defenses.

Those defenses—mines, anti-tank missiles, long-range ballistic missiles and armed drones—make any amphibious operation against a Ukrainian port extremely risky for the attackers. The fate of the Russian landing ship Saratov, which burst into flames while pier-side in the occupied port of Berdyansk on March 24, underscored that risk.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2022/04/13/the-ukrainians-claim-they-damaged-a-russian-cruiser-be-skeptical/amp/

When will this war stop

The ship has been tuned side way and that’s Russia biggest flagship,they only have 3 of this with the Moskva being d biggest lmao.
They lost one of there three cruise ships to small ukraine na this clowns wan face NATO?

The ship has been tuned side way and that’s Russia biggest flagship,they only have 3 of this with the Moskva being d biggest lmao.
They lost one of there three cruise ships to small ukraine na this clowns wan face NATO?.

The ship has been tuned side way and that’s Russia biggest flagship,they only have 3 of this with the Moskva being d biggest lmao.
They lost one of there three cruise ships to small ukraine na this clowns wan face NATO?

I don’t think people realize how big a deal this is.

The Moskva was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet and the pride of the Russian Navy. It also carried powerful S-300 anti-aircraft systems and was responsible for much of the air cover over eastern Ukraine. Also many of the ship launched missiles.

This is a significant blow to Russia, not just to their war effort, but also to their pride. That local Ukrainian made missiles could take out one of their most modern vessels.

Russia is pretending that the explosion was caused by an on-board accident but that’s garbage to try to save face. And if the explosion was truly that large, you have to fear for the 510 sailors on board.

omis1:
The ship has been tuned side way and that’s Russia biggest flagship,they only have 3 of this with the Moskva being d biggest lmao.
They lost one of there three cruise ships to small ukraine na this clowns wan face NATO?

I know you're posting this to boost your ego lol but stop lying , russia has more than three and moskva is not the biggest...

Cheap lie. So turning a colorful picture to black and white is now destroying something?

Botlord:

I know you're posting this to boost your ego lol but stop lying , russia has more than three and moskva is not the biggest...

russia are d one with bruised ego right now ,losing a major asset to small ukraine

Chopcy29:
Cheap lie. So turning a colorful picture to black and white is now destroying something?

you have a phone ? You can always use google cause Russia state media also comfirmed it.
U guys talk like Russia is invisible

Propaganda stories.
I haven't heard anything about this on popular news outlets .

omis1:
you have a phone ? You can always use google cause Russia state media also comfirmed it.
U guys talk like Russia is invisible

And what does goggle say about this news

Samken2:

And what does goggle say about this news

you have a phone use it or you can check ur russia propaganda news

texazzpete:
I don’t think people realize how big a deal this is.

The Moskva was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet and the pride of the Russian Navy. It also carried powerful S-300 anti-aircraft systems and was responsible for much of the air cover over eastern Ukraine. Also many of the ship launched missiles.

This is a significant blow to Russia, not just to their war effort, but also to their pride. That local Ukrainian made missiles could take out one of their most modern vessels.

Russia is pretending that the explosion was caused by an on-board accident but that’s garbage to try to save face. And if the explosion was truly that large, you have to fear for the 510 sailors on board.

What exactly is putins end game here? The world seeing the Russian bear as the real winnie the pooh?

All I am seeing from Russia is vibes, conscripts, logistical incompetence and out dated weapons systems

Fake news

https://www.nairaland.com/7078042/russian-warship-seriously-damaged-explosion

Teaser4:
Fake news

https://www.nairaland.com/7078042/russian-warship-seriously-damaged-explosion

So na your own be Legit News.....

Clowns everywhere.....

See RST attacking CNN ...

omis1:
The ship has been tuned side way and that’s Russia biggest flagship,they only have 3 of this with the Moskva being d biggest lmao.
They lost one of there three cruise ships to small ukraine na this clowns wan face NATO?

Why are you spamming the thread? Are you a spammer?

Teaser4:
Fake news

https://www.nairaland.com/7078042/russian-warship-seriously-damaged-explosion

Is that a legitimate source? Ukraine gets neptune anti-ship missiles with maximum range of 300km. Ukraine also received harpoon anti-ship missiles. If Russia Navy is careful, most of her ships would be destroyed by missiles.

War strategy has changed from offensive to defensive. NATO and their allies spend more on defensive weapons than offensive weapons.

Finally the Russian Warship has Sunk like the Titanic .....

According to Russian defence ministry.

Russia’s largest warship The Moskva sinks near Ukrainian coast after missile attack

Russia’s largest warship has exploded and sunk as crew desperately abandoned the ship following a Ukrainian land-based missile attack.

The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed The Moskva suffered “significant damage” after “a fire broke out” but said it was still investigating the cause of the blast.

Ukrainian officials on Thursday claimed the flagship cruiser of Russia’s Black Sea fleet was struck by two R-360 Neptune class anti-ship missiles, causing it to explode and sink near Odessa.

Russian media outlets reported the ship’s 500 crew members were evacuated after ammunition on board accidentally detonated.

Open-source intelligence analysts picked up distress signals from the warship which communicated “SOS” and “sinking” in morse code.

Severe storms were reported over the Black Sea at the time of attack.

Unconfirmed reports suggested the Russian cruiser was distracted by a Ukrainian drone in a targeted missile attack and was unable to redirect its defences in time.

The warship Moskva gained notoriety for its standoff with Ukrainian border guards at the beginning of the Ukranian war.

Border guards at Snake Island famously told the Russian warship to “go f**k yourself” via radio when responding to demands they surrender.

The sinking of Moskva now leaves Russia without its flagship cruiser and was perceived to be the Black Sea Fleet’s best defense against Ukrainian attack.

Originally designed to sink US navy nuclear powered air-craft carrier, the vessel is fitted with 16 large supersonic anti-ship missiles as well as torpedo tubes and a helicopter.

The Project 1164 Slava class is susceptible to explosions due to its design which abides by the Russian philosophy of packing high numbers of large weapons onto the hull of the ship.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/russias-largest-warship-the-moskva-sinks-near-ukrainian-coast-after-missile-attack/news-story/0551243a3ab0282c73d7c67ceb363e94%3famp