As the Russian army continued its offensive in eastern Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Black Sea Fleet flagship "Moscow" had sunk after the fire.
A Pentagon spokesman said, "It is reasonable and possible that the Ukrainian side attacked with missiles," and said that it would affect the future strength of the Russian army.
In Ukraine, Russian troops are intensifying their offensive in the eastern part, and in Mariupol, the Ukrainian side is also fighting against this, and it seems that it is a fierce battle.
Under these circumstances, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 14th that the flagship "Moscow" of the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet was "damaged by a fire and was being towed to the port, but the ship lost stability and the sea became rough. It sank inside. "
The details of the sinking are unknown, but the Ukrainian side claims that it "has been seriously damaged by the missile attack."
Regarding this, Pentagon spokesman Kirby said on CNN TV on the 14th, "I can not independently confirm what caused the sinking, but it is of course reasonable that the Ukrainian side attacked with a missile. "It's possible," he said. "It's a big blow to the Black Sea Fleet. It's a very capable cruiser with nearly 500 crew members and will affect the strength of the Russian army." bottom.
The sinking of the flagship, which functions as a command tower, is expected to affect Russian military operations, as it has been pointed out that Russian troops may launch a large-scale attack in eastern Ukraine in the near future.
US President Joe Biden considers dispatching high-ranking government officials
Meanwhile, a senior Pentagon official said yesterday that Russian troops are poised to continue a violent attack in eastern Ukraine.
Specifically, helicopters and other additional equipment have arrived in cities in western Russia, which appear to be the base for supply to Russian troops.
"Russian troops appear to want to reach some concrete goal in eastern Ukraine in the next two weeks or so," said the official.
Under these circumstances, U.S. President Joe Biden said on the 14th that he was "considering" the dispatch of high-ranking government officials to Ukraine, and several major U.S. media could send Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Defense Austin. Communicating sex.
As there is growing concern that the Russian army will launch a large-scale attack on eastern Ukraine, it seems that the United States wants to reiterate its stance of supporting Ukraine, and it is expected that the situation will be carefully assessed in the future.