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How Ukraine Became the First Ever to Sink a Missile Cruiser in Active Combat
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Ukrainian forces made history by sinking the Russian missile cruiser Moskva , becoming the first nation in modern warfare to destroy a missile cruiser during an active war according to Radio Svoboda on April 1.
“Now Ukraine is the only country in the world that destroyed a missile cruiser during the war. So far, we are the first in this matter… Firstly, the name is the capital of Russia, secondly, the flagship of the fleet, thirdly, it is a cruiser, a missile cruiser,” Vice Admiral, Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Oleksiy Neizhpapa noted.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s flagship, the cruiser Moskva, was sunk in mid-April 2022. Ukrainian military officials reported that the vessel was struck by two Neptune anti-ship missiles. The strikes triggered an onboard ammunition explosion, resulting in significant damage to the ship.
The Vice Admiral stated that the cruiser Moskva was tasked with isolating the combat zone and also led other ships stationed between Zmiinyi Island (Snake Island) located in the Black Sea, and Cape Tarkhankut located on the westernmost point of the Crimean Peninsula, in the Black Sea.
Neizhpapa believes that the Ukrainian operation against the cruiser sent an important signal to the Russian fleet. “We understood that if we manage to do this, the enemy will realize that they will no longer be able to approach such a distance to our shores, and we will be able to drive them away from Odesa,” he added.
Up till now, the cruiser is the largest warship to be sunk in wartime since World War II and the first Russian flagship to be sunk since the Knyaz Suvorov during the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. Its loss is unparalleled in recent history, surpassing other major naval losses in terms of the size of the ship.
This milestone is particularly significant because, while missile cruisers have been sunk in historical naval engagements, no other country has achieved such a feat in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The Moskva was a critical asset in the Russian Navy, tasked with isolating the combat zone and commanding other vessels near Snake Island and Cape Tarkhankut, as well as preventing NATO ships from entering the area.
The US was allegedly surprised that Ukraine had missiles capable of hitting such a vessel, reported The New York Times.
Shortly after the attack, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the cruiser remained afloat and that the fire onboard had been contained. However, the Russian military later acknowledged that the ship had sunk during a storm while being towed to Sevastopol.
For weeks, Russia withheld details about the losses. On April 22, the Russian Defense Ministry reported one death, 27 missing, and 396 evacuated. However, Ukraine claimed Russia rescued only 58 of the 510 crew members.
Neizhpapa emphasized the strategic importance of this operation, stating, “Right now, Ukraine is the only country in the world that has destroyed a missile cruiser during war. For now, we are first in this matter… First of all, the name is the capital of Russia, secondly, it’s the flagship of the fleet, and thirdly, it’s a missile cruiser.”
Neizhpapa further explained that the attack on the Moskva sent a strong message to the Russian fleet, signaling that Ukrainian forces could defend their shores with such precision.
“We understood that if we managed to do this, the enemy would realize that they could no longer approach our shores at such a distance, and we would be able to push them away from Odesa,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces struck Russian military equipment on the eastern front, destroying a $4.5 million T-90M tank and damaging another.
