Why it matters: The Moskva is the most needed ship in the Russian Black Sea Fleet, with cruise missiles that have a range of at least 440 miles, according to Reuters.
The actions of the Russian navy in the Black Sea, from where it launches missiles to Ukraine, are considered a key part of the army’s battle plans for the complete occupation of the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol.
Leading the news: Odessa Governor Maksym Marchenko claimed in a Telegram post a few hours earlier that Ukrainian missiles “guarding the Black Sea had caused very serious damage to the Russian ship”. What they say: Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a brief statement that “the ammunition was fired as a result of a fire on the Moskva missile cruiser.”
The ministry told state media that the ship’s crew was evacuated after the explosion.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a nightly speech on Wednesday that “Russian troops are stepping up their activities in the eastern and southern directions,” according to a transcript published in English. Looking back: The Moskva was the warship that allegedly told Ukrainian border guards to surrender Snake Island off the coast of Ukraine on the Black Sea.
There was a sound from the sailors telling the Russian forces to “go alone” in response, something that the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said was authentic. It was initially feared that the 10 sailors had been killed, but were later released as part of an exchange of prisoners with Russia.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with more comments from the Russian Ministry of Defense, Zelensky’s remarks and further context.
