The Russian Ministry of Defence has confirmed that a Russian Navy warship has been abandoned by its crew after it suffered severe damage caused by an explosion while operating in the Black Sea.
On Tuesday, April 13, Russian state media quoted defence officials as saying that the Project 1164 guided missile cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, suffered an onboard fire that then caused the vessel's ammunition to detonate.
Officials in Moscow said the blaze and the resulting explosion left the cruiser so severely damaged that it had to be abandoned.
Ukrainian officials claimed that Moskva was struck by anti-ship missiles launched from shore batteries, causing "very serious damage" that necessitated the evacuation of the 510-strong crew. However, the Russian defence ministry has not yet provided details on what had caused the mishap.
Moskva was operating in the Black Sea and providing support for Russian invasion forces in the ongoing war with Ukraine when the incident took place.
