The flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the missile cruiser Moskva, has sunk, according to Moscow sources.

On the occasion of the 50th day of the Russian war of aggression, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the citizens of his country for defending the country.

Loud explosions were heard in Kyiv early Friday morning, according to local media reports.

Air alerts have been raised in several regions.

There were initially no reports of possible damage or casualties.

The stricken Russian missile cruiser Moskva sank during a storm on Thursday while it was being towed to its destination, state agency TASS reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

Towing became necessary because the ship lost stability due to damage to the hull, which was damaged during a "munitions detonation fire".

There was no information on the cause of the fire.

The Ukrainian side had previously said the ship had been hit by one or two anti-ship missiles.

Moscow had already announced on Thursday night that the crew of the "Moskva" had been completely evacuated.

US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby told CNN that it was "probable" that there were fatalities and injuries in the incident.

Up to 500 soldiers were on board.

"I don't know how many they brought down.

We saw evidence that there were lifeboats and that some sailors were able to abandon ship," said Kirby, a retired US Navy rear admiral.

"But if it was hit by a missile - even if it was just an internal explosion that burned ammunition, like the Russians say - you'll probably have dead and wounded on board."

According to experts, the incident has more than just symbolic significance.

The missile cruiser was the linchpin of the air defense of the Black Sea Fleet.

The fact that the ship sank - whether by accident or a missile - will boost the morale of the Ukrainian armed forces and is also a propaganda victory for Kyiv.

CIA: Don't take nuclear threats lightly

CIA chief Bill Burns warned against taking the threat of Russia's possible use of tactical nuclear bombs seriously.

“Given the possible desperation of President (Vladimir) Putin and the Russian leadership, given the military setbacks experienced so far, none of us can take lightly the threat of the possible use of tactical or low-yield nuclear weapons.

We don't do it," Burns said.

Zelenskyy thanks Ukrainians for 50 days of resistance

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy thanked his compatriots for 50 days of resistance against Russia.

"Thank God, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and our people, we defended most of our country," Zelenskyy said in a video message published on Telegram.

“50 days of our defense is an achievement.

A feat by millions of Ukrainians.”

Zelenskyi said he remembered the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"To put it mildly, nobody was convinced that we would survive." Many would have recommended him to leave the country.

"They advised that we surrender de facto to tyranny." But they didn't know the Ukrainians and didn't know how brave they were and how much they value freedom.

Habeck: Must deliver more weapons to Ukraine

Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck is campaigning for an increase in arms deliveries to Ukraine.

"More weapons must come," said the Green politician to the newspapers of the Funke media group.

“We cannot leave Ukraine alone in the war.

She fights for us too.

Ukraine must not lose, Putin must not win.” Above all, politicians from the Greens and the FDP in the traffic light coalition are pushing for further aid for Kyiv, also in the form of heavy weapons.

Kyiv: Flixbus resumes trips to Ukraine

According to information from Kyiv, the bus operator FlixBus is resuming connections to Ukraine.

The capital Kyiv and a number of other Ukrainian cities would be served again, according to a statement by the Ukrainian government portal on the state of the country's transport infrastructure.

In addition to Kyiv, the stops that have been resumed include Zhytomyr, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Uman, Khmelnytskyj and Ternopil.

That's going to be important today

Pope Francis will celebrate the traditional Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome this Good Friday.

To speak out against the war in Ukraine and against gun violence, the Vatican decided that at the 13th Station Ukrainians and Russians will jointly carry the crucifix as a sign of peace.

However, criticism came from the Ukraine in advance – this was a contradictory signal that did not put the Russian war of aggression in the right context.

Easter marches for peace are planned in Chemnitz and Biberach, among others.

In Berlin, the discussion about the delivery of heavy weapons from Germany to Ukraine continues.