Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, was damaged by an explosion on April 13, has sunk, Russia’s defence ministry has said. Ukrainian officials said their forces hit the vessel with Neptune missiles
About Moskva
- The 510-crew missile cruiser was a symbol of Russia’s military power, leading its naval assault on Ukraine.
- The 12,490-tonne vessel is the biggest Russian warship to be sunk in action since World War Two.
- Originally built in the Soviet-era, the Moskva entered service in the early 1980s.
Neptune cruise missile
- Governor of Ukraine’s Odessa Oblast, declared that the cruiser Moskva had been struck by two Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles that had been indigenously developed in Ukraine.
- The Neptune cruise missile is a Ukrainian-manufactured anti-ship missile, fired from shore to ship. The Neptune cruise missile that hit the Russian fleet was developed by Ukraine and entered service in August 2020.
- RK-360MT Neptune are mobile anti-ship cruise missile capable of destroying targets within a range of 300 km.
About Black Sea
- Black Sea links to the Sea of Marmara through the Bosphorus and then to the Aegean through the Dardanelles, has traditionally been Russia’s warm water gateway to Europe.
- Black Sea is bound by Ukraine to the north and northwest, Russia and Georgia to the east, Turkey to the south, and Bulgaria and Romania to the west.
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