War in Ukraine: the cruiser Moskva has sunk, announces the Russian Ministry of Defense – Le Figaro

The decommissioning of this emblematic building constitutes a major snub for the Russian army, while the Ukrainian authorities have claimed to have hit it with cruise missiles. The cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, damaged during the offensive against Ukraine, has sunk, announced Thursday evening April 14 the Russian Ministry of Defense. Read alsoIn the Black Sea, Russia suffers a snub “While towing the cruiser Moskva to the port of destination, the ship lost its stability due to damage to the hull suffered during the fire following the detonation of ammunition. In rough sea conditions, the ship sank,” the ministry said, quoted by state news agency TASS. Ukraine claims it hit it with missiles The 186-meter-long missile vessel was ‘severely damaged’ by a fire that caused munitions to explode and its crew of more than 500 had to be evacuated , the Russian Ministry of Defense announced overnight. The latter then said Thursday morning that the fire had been contained and that the explosions had stopped. “The cruiser Moskva retains its buoyancy,” he said. Read alsoChemical weapons, rape: serial accusations against the Russian army in Mariupol The Ukrainian authorities have for their part claimed to have struck with cruise missiles this flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet based in Sevastopol in Crimea. “Neptune missiles protecting the Black Sea have caused significant damage to this Russian ship,” assured the governor of the Odessa region, on the Black Sea, Maxime Marchenko. His remarks were confirmed by the spokesman for the military administration of this Ukrainian port city, Serguiï Bratchouk. The decommissioning of this emblematic building, built in 1983 in the USSR, bearing the name of the Russian capital and previously engaged in the Russian campaign in Syria, constitutes a major snub for the Russian army.