Ukraine's government has mocked Russia on the second anniversary of the sinking of Moscow's former Black Sea flagship at Kyiv's hands, after Ukraine targeted a slew of Russia's vessels since the start of the year.
The Moskva sank on April 14, 2022, less than two months after the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The loss of the large cruiser, housing hundreds of crew members, was a significant strategic and propaganda blow to Russia in the opening weeks of the war.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet losses in the more than 25 months since the start of all-out war have been significant—Ukrainian officials estimate Russia has lost around a third of its fleet, which is partly based on the annexed Crimean peninsula that Kyiv has vowed to reclaim from Moscow. Ukraine's operations against the Black Sea Fleet have been one of the most successful parts of Kyiv's war effort.
Kyiv said it used home-grown anti-ship missiles to strike the guided missile cruiser close to Snake Island, a small island serving as a strategic outpost in the Black Sea around 30 miles from Ukraine's shores. The U.S. then said it believed Kyiv used Neptune missiles to hit the Moskva.
Russia blamed a fire and a "munitions blast," before saying the ship sank after losing its stability in a "heavy storm."
"Two years ago, Ukrainian warriors destroyed the largest warship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet—cruiser Moskva," Kyiv's Defense Ministry wrote on Sunday.
Two years ago, Ukrainian warriors destroyed the largest warship of the russian Black Sea Fleet—cruiser Moskva.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 14, 2024
The Ukrainian military struck the russian cruiser with Neptune cruise missiles in the area of Snake Island and inflicted serious damage on it. The cruiser sank while… pic.twitter.com/r2KbhYsaXS
"The most important question is: How [is the] Moskva doing at the bottom of the Black Sea?" Ukraine's government added in a post to social media.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
"Clear planning of the combat operation, patience and monitoring paid off," Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, told Ukrainian outlet Novosti.LIVE over the weekend of the Ukrainian operation in April 2022.
"When our naval command saw the opportunity to destroy the flagship, we were ready for it," Pletenchuk said. "But the enemy was not ready for this strike."
A first Neptune missile took out a number of the Moskva's senior commanders, meaning the rest of the cruiser's crew "could no longer receive the appropriate commands," Pletenchuk added. A second missile then struck the vessel after the ship's defenses failed to intercept it, the spokesperson said.
Since the start of the year, Ukraine has targeted a number of Russia's Black Sea Fleet vessels using both missiles and its naval drones. Kyiv has struck a handful of Russia's landing ships, a reconnaissance vessel, a corvette and a patrol ship since the beginning of 2024.
Conscious of the threat posed by Ukraine's military in the Black Sea, Moscow has attempted to fortify its Black Sea bases against Kyiv's attacks, and moved many of its assets further east in the Black Sea.
It is using decoys and false silhouettes to ward off Ukrainian drone and missile strikes at its Black Sea facilities, the British government assessed last month.
Moscow has also announced it will beef up the protection around its fleet with large-caliber machine guns to shoot down incoming naval drones before they strike Russian vessels.
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Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine ... Read more
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