Posted on 04/14/2022 7:13:25 AM PDT by Red Badger
Russian and Ukraine agree that the Russian missile cruiser Moskva, its Black Sea flagship, was taken out of commission on Wednesday, but there's no agreement on how that happened. Russian state-run media, citing the Defense Ministry, said "ammunition detonated as a result of a fire on the Moskva missile cruiser," the ship "was seriously damaged," and "the entire crew" of 510 was evacuated. Hours earlier, the governor of Odessa said Ukraine had hit the ship with Neptune anti-ship missiles and inflicted "very serious damage."
Either way, "one of the Russian Navy's most important warships is either floating abandoned or at the bottom of the Black Sea, a massive blow to a military struggling against Ukrainian resistance 50 days into Vladimir Putin's invasion of his neighbor," CNN reports. And "whatever the reason for the fire, the analysts say it strikes hard at the heart of the Russian navy as well as national pride, comparable to the U.S. Navy losing a battleship during World War II or an aircraft carrier today."
Alessio Patalano, professor of war and strategy at King's College in London, said losing the Moskva would be a "massive blow" for Russia.
"Only the loss of a ballistic missile submarine or the Kutznetsov," Russia's lone aircraft carrier, "would inflict a more serious blow to Russian morale and the navy's reputation with the Russian public," retired U.S. Navy Capt. Carl Schuster, former director of operations at the U.S. Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center, tells CNN.
It is "a significant setback for Russia's war effort, for both military and morale reasons," and the Moska's demise would "be seen as poetic justice in Ukraine," since it was the warship that told Ukrainian forces to surrender on Snake Island early in the war, only be told to "go f--k yourself," BBC News reports. "In more practical terms, this incident is likely to result in Russian warships having to move further offshore for their own safety," and the Moskva has been a thorn in Ukraine's side since the invasion began, "loitering offshore and menacing" Odessa.
Heard it was an ammo fire and NOT rockets. Roosskie mis/dis/mal-info?
Did Peter Weber ask you if you wanted fries with your order?
CNN are just embarrassing
Pentagon
‘Moskva operating under own power’ - Kirby
History nugget
The same ship was hit by the Georgian navy back in 2008. She spent a year in drydock and was back at sea by 2010.
This is obviously a big win for Ukraine. But dictators usually get personally offended after such a loss, and decide to escalate.
So it aināt over yet.
I am going with poor training and maintenance practices by the crew as causing the loss of the vessel.
The navy hasn’t played a big role in this war. The main thing Moskva and other ships were doing was serving as floating anti-air platforms.
Losing the ship will make it easier for Ukrainian planes and drones to operate.
My position since first hour.
Agreed.
There is a strong possibility that it was from the explosion of their own ammunition, but the obvious question arises, what happened to the security protocol at the internal ammunition depot?.. At that point is when I start to doubt
Russian missile cruiser Moscva loss is a massive blow, because its the only s300 long range surface-to-air missile system in the area.
In other news, Moscow announced today that every ship in the Russian fleet will be equipped with SONAR so that they can see the other ships in the Russian fleet.
“...Pick your favorite story. ...”
I pick the the story that a drone’s attack took all of the ship’s defense’s attention so that an unanticipated missile attack could get through the defenses for a strike - a well coordinated operation.
Comrade Xi has to be losing sleep wondering if Taiwan has sophisticated anti ship drones and stealthy anti ship missiles in their arsenal.
So far, no one from the Ukraine has claimed they ‘contributed’ to the situation. Appears to be just poor training or an internal matter. I wouldn’t go expecting some naval board to discuss the matter....will just be medals of ‘courage’ handed out.
“...every ship in the Russian fleet will be equipped with SONAR so that they can see the other ships in the Russian fleet....”
what a great thought - luv it!!!!
The drone was also probably used to help target the Moscva.
Invasion 2.0 is coming soon. Another Russian attempted at shock and awe, battles in Donbas, etc. You can see Russia clumsily laying the pretexts today. A big bombing of Kyiv is the obvious thing to expect. Putin can’t steal Ukraine so now will try to destroy it.
Funny thing is: Ukraine built the ship. They understood its weakness.
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