I am going with poor training and maintenance practices by the crew as causing the loss of the vessel.
My position since first hour.
Agreed.
“...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.
Rule of thumb, when the choice is between malevolence or brilliance and incompetence or dumb luck, I'll take the latter every time until proven otherwise.
You can apply that to the entire war.
I am going with poor training and maintenance practices
You can apply that to the entire Russian military.
Yes, for the first time in the 400-year history of the Russian Navy, one of its ships just happens to blow up due to an ammunition fire coincidentally during wartime when the ship is off the shore of a hostile country that possesses anti-ship missiles. Yes, yes, that is truly more plausible than than the ship being hit by those enemy missiles. Now that I think about it, all those Russian tanks blowing up is probably due to the tank crews smoking inside tanks with leaking fuel lines rather than from Ukrainian anti-tank missiles, isn’t that right?
“I am going with poor training and maintenance practices by the crew as causing the loss of the vessel.”
ENTIRELY possible/believable.
Also ENTIRELY possible/believable is that Ukraine hit it.
Either way it is GOOD NEWS!
Russia, the paper tiger. Now, EVERYONE knows it.
Putin has embarrassed his military, his entire country and himself. He should immediately RESIGN/STEP DOWN.
Or, be TAKEN DOWN before he really gets reckless. (nuclear, or nucular like W would say)