Sinking Of Cruiser 'Moskva': Previously Unknown Details Revealed

Nature itself helped sink the flagship.

One of the greatest sensations of Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression was the sinking of the Russian flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser Moskva. An important point is that a missile produced in Ukraine, the Neptun, sunk the ship.

Ukrainskaya Pravda published a reconstruction of the sinking of the Russian cruiser.

It was a surprise for the Russians back in February 2022 that Ukraine itself had such anti-ship missiles. The complex had been demonstrated earlier, but the missiles were not delivered to Odesa until late February, a couple of days before the invasion.

It was nature itself that helped the Ukrainian military to sink the cruiser. On April 13, the operator of the Neptun complex in Odesa did not have the right radar to detect a target 120 km from the shore. That was how close the Russians approached. They relied on cloudy weather and their air defense systems. Ordinary radar reaches 18 km, but it was able to show the target at a much greater distance. Due to the cloudy weather, which was supposed to reduce visibility and keep the Russians out, the radar signal reflected off the clouds and water surface and unexpectedly showed the Ukrainian military a large ship, the cruiser Moskva. The allies have a version that it was they who confirmed the precise coordinates of the target, but UP sources claim that the Moskva was monitored from satellites. It was important not only to know where it was but also to hit it.

The cruiser entered the engagement zone on April 13 and about 4 p.m. two missiles from the Neptune went towards it. A photo of that very moment of launch was found.

The hardest part was detecting the hit. The drones could not fly out for reconnaissance because of clouds. But the cruiser suddenly rushed forward and tried to hide behind a large metal object - Boyko Twers". A tugboat left the Crimea. It proved the critical situation on the cruiser. A storm was raging at sea, which complicated the rescue operations.

The Russian military leadership made strenuous efforts to conceal the incident, claiming the fire on board and downplaying the number of casualties. All the same, the truth came to the surface. The number of corpses on the cruiser stunned even the occupants. A little less than two weeks later, the exact spot of sinking of the Moskva was identified. The remains of the cruiser washed ashore in June.