'Russian Pride' Black Sea Fleet Flagship Sinks

The Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship 'Moskva' that sank on the 14th [Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

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[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the pride known as the 'Moskva,' sank in the Black Sea on the 14th (local time). While the Russian military stated that the Moskva sank due to a fire of unknown cause, the Ukrainian military claimed that the Moskva sank following an attack by their domestically developed 'Neptune' missile.

According to the BBC and others, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced late in the afternoon that the Moskva sank after encountering a storm while being towed to port for repairs. The Russian Ministry of Defense explained that an unknown cause occurred on the Moskva, causing the hull to lose balance. The Ukrainian military insists it was a sinking caused by an attack, not an accident. They claim that the Neptune missile strike caused the ammunition loaded on the Moskva to explode, resulting in the ship's sinking. The Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged a series of ammunition explosions but did not confirm whether they were caused by a missile attack.

Oleksiy Arestovych, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on social media (SNS) that "the Russian Navy suffered its greatest defeat since World War II." He added, "As the warship's name 'Moskva' suggests, the Moskva was a very important warship for the Russian military," and "The Moskva is likely the largest Russian warship to have sunk since 1945."

Michael Peterson, an analyst at the Russian Maritime Research Institute, said, "The Moskva was a symbol of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and a headache for the Ukrainian military," adding, "The sinking of the Moskva will boost Ukrainian morale."

The Moskva was built in Ukraine during the Soviet era and launched in 1982. It was deployed in the Syrian war and played a significant role in the early stages of this war, including the capture of Snake Island south of Odesa. The Russian Black Sea Fleet attacked several Ukrainian cities with cruise missiles and recently played a crucial support role in the assault on Mariupol. The Moskva's primary purpose was reportedly more focused on defending the Black Sea Fleet than on offensive operations.

Jonathan Bendam, an analyst at the London-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, explained, "The Moskva is the third-largest warship currently in the Russian Navy and one of the best-equipped with defensive weapons." Bendam said, "The Moskva is equipped with a three-layer air defense system, making it very difficult to strike," and added, "If this sinking was caused by a missile, it raises serious questions about the modernization of the Russian military."

The Neptune missile used by the Ukrainian military is an upgraded version of the KH-35 missile originally designed during the Soviet era. Ukraine began developing the Neptune missile after losing Crimea to Russia in 2014 and deployed it to the military in March last year. The Ukrainian military explained that this is the first time the Neptune missile has been used in actual combat.

With the Ukrainian military's ability to strike Russian warships proven, it is expected that future Russian military operations will inevitably face setbacks. Douglas Barrie, a fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said, "The Russian military will consider conducting operations further away from the coast."

This is the second time the Ukrainian military has sunk a Russian warship. Last month, the Russian landing ship 'Saratov' was sunk. The sinking of the Saratov is analyzed to have forced the Russian military to abandon plans to use the southeastern Ukrainian coastal city of Berdyansk as a logistics base.

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