A US military plane flew over the Black Sea shortly before the Russian ship Moskva sank, the Times reveals Wednesday, April 20. Which question the connection between the two.
A spy plane in the Black Sea
According to British media, based on data from the FlightRadar24 website, it is a Boeing P8 Poseidon, a spy and anti-submarine device. The plane would have flown over the Black Sea, not far from the Russian ship and a few hours before it sank.
The P8 reportedly took off from a US base in Sicily before being spotted over the Mediterranean at 1:32 p.m., reports Le Figaro, citing The Times. Two hours later, the plane was less than 100 miles (160 km) from the Moscow River via Valea Nucarilor, Romania.
For almost three hours the aircraft’s position was not known and its altitude appeared to have dropped considerably, reaching 12,000 feet. At 8:42 p.m., a first message on Facebook said that the Moskva ship had been hit. At 22.31 the Odessa governor confirmed.
sinking of the Moskva
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Moskva was “severely damaged” by a fire that caused the explosion of ammunition. Her crew of over 500 men had to be evacuated.
On the Ukrainian side, the army assures that the fire was caused by rocket fire. The United States admitted to providing information to the Ukrainian military in early April. The Boeing P8 Poseidon is armed with AGM-84 Harpoon and Mark 54 torpedo anti-ship missiles. His presence in the area obviously casts doubt on the possible involvement of Americans in the blaze.
The cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, is a highly symbolic command ship that, in addition to its military operations, is an important diplomatic instrument for Russia.
war in Ukraine. American plane spotted in Black Sea ahead of Russian ship MoskvaEXPAND sinking