WASHINGTON – Two Ukrainian Neptune missiles have hit Russia’s flagship Moskva in the Black Sea, a senior defense official said Friday, providing the first US confirmation that the sinking of the Russian cruiser was the result of a Ukrainian attack.
Moscow had said the ship sank in stormy seas after an accidental fire caused an explosion.
The official said assessments by US intelligence agencies showed a number of casualties when the ship was hit, but could not provide a specific number. He said there were also some Russian sailors who survived and were picked up by lifeboats.
The ship was hit about 65 nautical miles south of Odessa and moved on under its own power for some time after the initial attacks, before finally sinking on Thursday. As the only Russian cruiser of its class in the Black Sea, the sinking of Moskva is a major blow to Russia’s war plans, the official said.
“She had cruise missiles on that ship that are now at the bottom of the Black Sea,” the official said.