Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday that the flagship in their Black Sea fleet, the Moskva, was badly damage by ammunition blast.
Russia claims ammunition on the ship exploded forcing the 500 member crew to evacuate.
“As the result of a fire on the Moskva missile cruiser, ammunition detonated. The ship was seriously damaged,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, according to Reuters. “The crew was completely evacuated.”
However, a Ukrainian official earlier said the Moskva had been hit by two missiles.
“The Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, received ‘very serious damage'”, Odesa regional governor Maksym Marchenko said. “‘It has been confirmed that the missile cruiser Moskva today went exactly where it was sent by our border guards on Snake Island!”
The Moskva was at the center of a viral moment early in the invasion after Ukrainian defenders on Snake Island told the crew on broad to “go fuck yourself” after the crew on the Russian warship told them to surrender.