The Russian Defense Ministry has reported that the cruiser "Moscow" sank while being towed to port.
The missile cruiser Moskva, on which a fire broke out due to the detonation of munitions, sank during a storm, the Defense Ministry said, as quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.
"While towing the cruiser 'Moscow' to the destination port, the ship lost stability due to hull damage. Eventually, munitions detonation and rough sea conditions caused its sinking," the release reads.
The Russian missile cruiser "Moscow," the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, has been seriously damaged, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Earlier, Ukrainian forces stated that Ukrainian anti-ship Neptune missiles hit the ship.
This was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the first Russian flagship sunk since the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905. Russia tried to block the production of Ukraine-made missiles Neptune, which has been using its army since 2020.
Various reports came in about the vessel's condition throughout the day, including that the ship had sunk. The Pentagon confirmed that an explosion had occurred, but the "Moscow" was still afloat.
It eventually sank while being towed to its destination port. The cruiser's crew was evacuated to the Black Sea Fleet ships in the area.
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