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The cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Russian forces in the Black Sea, sinks in the waters off Odessa. Whether it was the Ukrainian missiles that hit it as Kyiv claims or a fire that broke out on board for unknown reasons as Moscow claims the result does not change much: Russia has an important piece of its offensive potential against Russia lost .Ukraine. The ship is actually a rocket launcher and could hit numerous targets from the sea.
The opposite versions
However, there is also no agreement on the ultimate fate of the Moskva and the versions are contradictory: According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, she would still be afloat and “is being towed to a port”. However, for the Ukrainian Southern Command, the cruiser capsized and is set to sink after being hit by a Neptun missile. The entire crew was evacuated during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, but rescue attempts by other Russian ships would not have been successful due to the sea conditions and an explosion on board, probably from ammunition.
It must be said that even for Pentagon experts both versions are plausible: “It is possible that the Russian cruiser was hit by a missile, but it could also be that due to an internal problem a fire broke out on board”, he said. In fact, CNN spokesman John Kirby emphasized, among other things, that the United States is “still keeping the ship afloat”. We believe that the ship is going to Sevastopol for repairs.
The impact on the Russian offensive potential
In any case, the budget for Moscow is making itself felt this time. With the loss of the cruiser Moskva to Russia, 56 cruise missiles remain in the Black Sea, spread over five ships and four submarines: this is the estimate of Andrei Klimenko, an expert at the Institute for Strategic Studies on the Black Sea, on board the Moskva There actually were 16 of a total of 72 cruise missiles (over a fifth of the potential). Currently, the frigates Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov and the corvettes Vyshny Volochyok, Ingushetia and Grayvoron each carry eight missiles for a total of 40 devices. Then there are the RostovonDon, Stary Oskol, Velikiy Novgorod and Kolpino submarines, each with four for another 16 missiles. In addition, according to Klimenko, the Moskva (assuming it does not sink) will remain out of service for at least a year.
But there is more to rockets than that. The flagship also played a role of “protection” and cover from other Russian warships: Ukrainian forces have already hit four, and now the Russian ships may be more vulnerable to attacks from Kyiv.