2:54 a.m .: Russian cruiser Moskva “seriously damaged”
"Due to a fire, ammunition exploded on board the missile cruiser Moskva. The ship was badly damaged," according to the Russian Defense Ministry quoted Thursday, April 14 by the Tass and Ria Novosti agencies.
The crew was fully evacuated and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, he added.
Ukrainian authorities previously claimed that the Moskva was on fire after being hit by missiles.
"Neptune missiles protecting the Black Sea have caused significant damage to this Russian ship," said Ukrainian governor of the Odessa region (south), Maxime Marchenko.
An adviser to the Ukrainian president, Oleksiï Arestovitch, for his part declared on YouTube that "a surprise has arrived at the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet".
"It's burning with intensity. Now. And with these rough seas, it's impossible to know when they will be able to receive help," he said, assuring that "510 crew members" were on board. .
"We don't understand what happened," he added.
With AFP
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