The short video showing the sinking of the Moskva, Russia’s flagship

Five days after Ukraine announced the sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea fleet, some images of the event appear on social networks.

In the video, although not independently confirmed, a column of black smoke is seen rising from the Moskva. The marine vehicle is seriously damaged, it would have been hit by a Ukrainian missile attack.

In a developed photo it can be seen that the ship’s lifeboats have been lowered and no sailors are visible on deck, suggesting the ship may have been abandoned.

The three-second video recorded from another ship nearby shows a rescue tug approaching the burning Moskva.

The video concludes when a man, who does not appear, yells: “What the hell are you doing?”

The Guardian newspaper has consulted several military analysts, who said the images appeared to be from the Moskva, but that the photographs would require independent confirmation. So far, the source of the photos and video is unknown.

The Moskva was attacked on Wednesday, according to official Ukrainian sources, with two anti-ship missiles that ended up causing her to sink. This was confirmed by a US Defense Department official, who called it a “major blow” to Russia.

How was the cruise?

The Moskva cruiser was an important piece for the Russian Navy. She was built in 1979 at the Mykolayiv shipyards and has been in operation since 1983. The maritime ship had a length of 186 meters, a maximum speed of 32 knots, 12,500 tons and 16 anti-ship cruise missiles. (I)