Russia has admitted that its Black Sea Fleet’s flagship, Moscow, was on fire on Thursday, with Ukraine claiming it was hit by missiles.
Russia’s Defense Ministry says the Moscow missile cruiser was severely damaged after munitions were blown up by the fire.
Commenting by the TASS news agency, the ministry said: “Ammunition was detonated as a result of a fire on the Moscow missile cruiser.”
The crew, estimated to number about 500, has been rescued, they added.
The statement did not say what caused the initial fire, saying it was under investigation.
Ukrainian authorities say a 12,500-ton ship has been hit by two anti-ship missiles.
There was no evidence of this, but the governor of Odessa Maxim Marchenko said in the Telegram: “It has been confirmed that today the missile cruiser” Moscow “went exactly where it was sent by our border guards to Snake Island!
“Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage to the Russian ship.
“Glory to Ukraine!”
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His comments on Snake Island refer to an incident earlier in the war – the day after the Russian invasion – when Moscow was one of two Russian ships approaching a stretch of land in the Black Sea.
The Russians ordered 13 Ukrainian soldiers defending the island to surrender, but the Ukrainians responded on the radio, telling Moscow and its crew to “leave.”
Ukrainian soldiers were initially thought to have been killed, but the country’s navy later said they had been captured alive by Russia.
Key developments:
• US officials consider sending Secretary of State Anthony Blinken or Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in solidarity • Russia says it will impose retaliatory sanctions on 398 members of the US House of Representatives and 87 Canadian senators after the US 328 members of Russia’s lower house • The presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia visited Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda saying: “The struggle for Europe’s future is happening here” • Finland and Sweden has emerged to move closer to NATO membership, with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin saying the country must be “prepared for any action by Russia” • Mr Zelenski said International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan was visited Bucha, where more than 400 bodies were found, on Wednesday. Russia denies committing any atrocities • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says there is no chance of a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine
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3:02 Mariupol on the verge of conquest
This came as Ukraine warned that Russia was stepping up its efforts to the south and east as it approached control of Mariupol, the first major Ukrainian city to fall.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that 1,026 soldiers from Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade, including 162 officers, had surrendered in the southern city and that the port was under Russian control.
Ukrainian soldiers trying to defend the strategically important city have been fighting for weeks while running out of food, water and ammunition.
Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that Russian forces were attacking the port area, but said there was no information about the surrender.
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