Russian battleship Moscow: what do we know?

Russian state media reported that Russia's leading Black Sea missile cruiser was "severely damaged," and its crew had to be evacuated. The Defense Ministry said Moscow ammunition was detonated in an unexplained fire, but the 186-meter-long ship was still sailing.

Ukraine claims to have hit the ship with two of its Neptune missiles. The 510-man warship led the Russian naval assault on Ukraine, making it an important symbolic and military target. 

All crew members were evacuated." On Thursday afternoon, the Defense Ministry said the fire on board had been extinguished and would tow the warship back into port, which was still afloat.

Moscow blamed the explosion on an unexplained fire without mentioning a rocket attack. But Ukraine said it was responsible for the attack on the cruiser, which allegedly targeted a recently launched Ukrainian missile. At one point, the cruiser even began to sink.

In a Facebook post, Ukrainian authorities said Russian rescue efforts were hampered by an explosion of ammunition on board and lousy weather. The news did not confirm any allegations. This is a significant obstacle to Russian military efforts, both for military and moral reasons.

Whatever caused the massive fire on board – and Ukraine says it was two rockets fired by its troops – the sinking of the once-mighty Moscow will be seen as poetic justice in Ukraine. This incident likely meant that Russian warships would have to move further from the coast for their safety.

According to Russian media, the ship was initially built in Ukraine during Soviet times; the vessel entered service in the early 1980s. Moscow previously used the missile cruiser in the conflict in Syria, where it provided naval cover for Russian forces in the country. Reports said it carried more than a dozen Vulkan anti-ship missiles and various anti-submarine weapons and torpedoes.

Moscow is the second major Russian ship known to be seriously damaged since the invasion.