Ukraine’s military reportedly used drones to distract hundreds of soldiers on board a Russian warship before it launched missiles and struck the navy vessel.
The Slava-class missile cruiser named Moskva, which has been part of Moscow’s Black Sea fleet for close to 40-years, exploded into flames and later sunk.
Kyiv officials claimed two of its newest R-360 Neptune class anti-ship missiles were fired from a hidden battery in the southern port city of Odessa.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said ammunition exploded in a fireball it could not explain, and the $750 million flagship subsequently suffered “significant damage”.
Russian state media reported the vessel’s estimated 500 crew members were evacuated after the ammunition detonated accidently.
It later confirmed the warship “lost its balance due to damage sustained in the hull” and sunk as it was being towed back to the port.
“In the stormy sea conditions, the ship sank,” it said in a statement.
Moscow has launched an investigation, but made no mention of a missile attack.
Moskva gained notoriety for its standoff with Ukrainian border guards two days after President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion.
Border force officers at Snake Island famously told troops on the Russian warship to “go f**k yourself” via radio when they were asked to surrender.
The sinking of the vessel leaves Russia without its flagship cruiser, which was perceived to be the Black Sea Fleets’ best defence against attacks from Ukraine.
The Moskva is the second warship to be destroyed after the Orsk was decimated by fire while docked in the seaside town of Berdyansk, west of Mariupol, last month.
Photos and CCTV footage showed flames reaching at least 100 metres into the air as explosions rang out and black smoke billowed into the sky.
Nearby Russian ships quickly sailed away from the danger.
Source: SkyNews;