The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that the Black Sea Fleet's flagship "Moscow" has sunk, and there are views that it will hurt future military invasions of Ukraine.

The details of the sinking are unknown, but the Ukrainian side claims that "the Ukrainian anti-ship missile'Neptune'hit'Moscow'."

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 14th that the Black Sea Fleet's flagship "Moscow" was "damaged by a fire and was being towed to the port, but the ship became unstable and sank in the rough sea." Did.



"Moscow" is the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy.


She was put into service in 1983, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, and in 1999 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, she became the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet based in the military port Sevastopol in Crimea, southern Ukraine.

Her crew is up to 680 and she can carry 16 cruise missiles called "Bazarits" and torpedoes.


In addition to Russia's military invasion of Georgia in 2008, she was dispatched to the Syrian Civil War in which Russia intervened in 2015, and is positioned as the main force of the Russian Navy.

Ukrainian Army "Domestic anti-ship missile hits"

Regarding the situation when "Moscow" sank, a Ukrainian military spokesman told local media on the 14th that "Ukrainian anti-ship missile" Neptune "hit" Moscow "." Moscow "has been severely damaged. A fire broke out in response. Other ships tried to help, but the sea was rough and the explosives exploded violently, causing them to lose balance and begin to sink. "

Range is about 300 km

The "Neptune" is a Ukrainian-made anti-ship cruise missile that can be launched on land, at sea, or from the air.

With a range of approximately 300 km, it is effective against frigates and small destroyers.



According to local Ukrainian media, development has been underway since 2014, when Russia unilaterally annexed the Southern Crimean Crisis, with the aim of defending the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov, and was officially deployed to the Navy last March.

U.S. Department of Defense "Big blow to the Black Sea Fleet"

Pentagon spokesman Kirby said on CNN TV on the 14th, "I can't confirm for myself what caused the sinking, but it's reasonable and possible that the Ukrainian side attacked with a missile. "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."

US think tank "Russia has lost one of its most important ships"

The American think tank "War Institute" said on the 14th, "It will boost the morale of Ukrainian soldiers as a symbol of Ukraine's ability to counterattack the Russian Navy. On the contrary, the Russian side lost one of the most important ships. It will be difficult to explain this and the morale of Russian soldiers will be deteriorated. It will be hidden from the Russian people. "



The British Department of Defense also pointed out in an analysis on the 15th that "'Moscow' played an important role in command and air defense missions," and said, "Since the military invasion, the Russian landing ship was damaged on March 24. It is the main damage that follows. It may lead the Russian army to reconsider its posture in the Black Sea. "

Ask former JMSDF executives What is the cause of the sinking?

The sinking of "Moscow" that shocked the world.

We asked Yoji Koda, a former Maritime Self-Defense Force commander, about the cause and future impact.

According to Mr. Koda, the cause of the sinking was "There are cases where a fire broke out inside the ship and spread to the ammunition storage, and there were cases where a missile on the Ukrainian side hit and exploded, but the warship is double against the fire. Mie measures have been taken. On the other hand, if the missile hits, the ammunition will explode and become unmanageable soon after it is dealt with, causing great damage. " Shown.



In addition, the main mission of the Russian fleet deployed in the Black Sea was to

transport goods from


the sea to the area from the Crimean Peninsula to the eastern part of Ukraine

and to support ground operations by naval artillery and missile attacks

. "Moscow" points out that it was a ship that was responsible for defense against missile attacks and commanded the entire operation.

On top of that, regarding the future impact, "The flagship is a symbolic ship for the fleet or the entire navy, and the fact that it sank so easily would greatly reduce the morale of the Russian Navy. From the Ukrainian side. It can be said that Russia has faced new challenges in how to rebuild its defenses against missile attacks and maintain morale. "