What do we know about the sinking of the Russian flagship Moskva
After the news of an explosion in aboard the Moskva, the Russian defense ministry initially denied that it had been hit by Ukrainian missiles and that the vessel was about to sink. The statements reported by the Russian news agency Tass, spoke of limited damage and four tugs at work to bring the ship to port for repair. After just a few hours, on the evening of Thursday 14 April 2022, the same ministry was forced to rectify, at least partially, its statements.
"The cruiser Moskva lost its stability while being towed into port, due to the damage suffered to the hull during the fire triggered by the explosion of the ammunition on board "we read on the pages of the Tass" the ship then sank due to the stormy sea. "However, the role of bad weather in the sinking of the ship, was questioned by experts and the weather report of the area where the Moskva was located.
"The Russians claim that a storm caused the cruiser to sink - Mark Hertling, former commander general of the United States Army in Europe told CNN - but the weather report relating to the waters off Sevastopol it gave winds at about 4 miles per hour, a temperature of 4 degrees and a little rain ”. According to the Beaufort scale, which measures the strength of the wind, a current of air with a speed of 4 miles per hour (or 4 knots) corresponds to a light breeze, just above the light breeze, which varies between a speed of one mile and three miles per hour.
What we know about the explosion on the Russian cruiser Moskva Ukraine claims to have hit the Moskva with two anti-ship missiles, while for the Kremlin it would be a simple fire. A blow to Russian strategy The loss of the flagship of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea - as well as the largest sank warship since World War II and the first since the Malvinas and Gulf Wars - is not just a military defeat , but also a symbolic blow to the prestige of the Russian army and, consequently, of the Kremlin. This is why it is important to observe with a critical eye the official statements coming from Moscow on the issue.
The Moskva was the most prestigious ship involved in the invasion of Ukraine and the pride of the Russian fleet. Also used in Syria, Crimea, Georgia and numerous international missions, including an official visit to Cuba in 2013, she was an example of Russian naval power, while now she has developed into a symbol of Ukrainian strength and resistance. In fact, the cruiser is the same one sent to that country by the Ukrainian soldiers on the island of the Snakes at the beginning of the war, whose phrase "Russian warship: go fuck yourself" became the first slogan against the Russian occupation forces and by now found on mugs, T-shirts, and other gadgets sold to support the war effort. The fact that she was sunk therefore represents a great boost for the morale of Ukrainian troops.
On the other hand, this is the second Russian vessel to have sunk since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion, and therefore of a new loss of fundamental importance for the military strategy of the Kremlin. "With this incident, Russia has now lost two fundamental maritime resources since it invaded Ukraine," the British defense ministry said. The first was the Alligator-class landing ship that was destroyed on March 24 and now the Moskva. Both events will probably lead Russia to review its strategy in the Black Sea ”. Indeed, according to military analyzes reported by CNBC, Moskva should have played a key role in a future amphibious attack on Odessa, the largest port in Ukraine.
