MOSCOW: Ukraine has claimed the attack on Russia's Black Sea flagship that was seriously damaged in an explosion. However, Russia said that the damage to the Moskva missile cruiser was caused by ammunition detonating 'as a result of a fire' and that the matter is being probed.
Russia says it has evacuated 510 people, including soldiers aboard the ship. 'Moskva' gained notoriety early in the war when it called on Ukrainian border troops defending the strategic Snake Island to surrender, only to be defiantly refused.
Moskva, a symbol of Soviet-era pride, is 611 feet long and can carry missiles and warplanes.