According to The Times, this plane would have taken off from the American base in Sigonella in Sicily on April 13, the day of the attack, before flying towards the Black Sea and the Romanian coast. However, the device would have cut off its transponders and disappeared from radar screens for almost three hours. This maneuver would have allowed the P-8 Poseidon to change its flight plan and locate the “Moskva” and thus communicate the ship’s position to the Ukrainian defenses.
“Key Recognition Skills”
“A P-8 Poseidon can perform a mission like this,” says a former senior French Air Force officer. In operation, we consistently cut the transponders more discreetly. And this plane, by the way, does not have to fly very close, since it has significant detection capabilities. It works great and that’s why everyone is buying it now. »
If confirmed, this scenario would serve as a reminder that US aid to Ukraine includes intelligence agencies. And not just arms deliveries. that have intensified. On Monday, April 18, Washington announced the arrival of new supplies at the border, including M777 howitzers, the latest generation of artillery pieces.
humiliation
One certainty: for Moscow, the loss of the “Moskva” is a real humiliation. Firstly, because it was one of the three largest ships still in service in the Russian Navy. Then – and this is even more disadvantageous – because the ship housed the command post of the Black Sea Fleet. However, Russia has stationed no fewer than 30 ships here, including three submarines. As this observer points out, It was the head that got hit. And the Russians will not be able to replace the “Moskva”. In fact, the other two Slava-class cruisers, Mareshal Oustinov and Varyag, are currently stationed in the Mediterranean. But Turkey, which has closed the straits of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus leading to the Black Sea, cannot join it.
Where’s the crew?
Finally, this sinking, whether the result of missile attacks or a fire on board – as the Kremlin claims – also raises the question of training Russian sailors to cope. On the Western side, we do not fail to remember that in 1987, during the Iran-Iraq War, the American frigate USS Stark was hit by two Exocet missiles. However, despite the death of 37 sailors and the ensuing fire, the crew had managed to regain control and brought the boat back to Bahrain.
But beyond that, questions about the fate of the crew of the “Moskva” also arise. On April 17, three days after the sinking, the Russian Defense Ministry released video showing nearly a hundred sailors believed to be from the Moskva standing at attention. Images accompanied by a single statement from the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nicolai Levmenov: The crew of the Moskva is at the main base in the heroic city of Sevastopol. These officers, midshipmen and enlisted men will continue to serve in the Navy. Although Russia has not provided an assessment of the sinking, testimonies from families looking for their children, who are employed aboard the “Moskva”, often as conscripts, have surfaced, reigniting speculation. The “Moskva” has not yet revealed all its secrets.