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Russian Court Admits for the First Time That Ukraine Sank Flagship Moskva Cruiser
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For the first time, a Russian military court has officially acknowledged that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were responsible for the destruction of the Moskva cruiser—a major milestone in establishing accountability for one of the most high-profile naval losses of the war.
The admission came in a ruling by the Second Western District Military Court in Moscow, as reported by Mediazona and cited by RBC-Ukraine on January 22. Although the court’s press office quickly removed the announcement from its website, a copy of the ruling was preserved.
According to the verdict, Ukrainian Navy Colonel Andrii Shubin, commander of the 406th Artillery Brigade, was found “guilty” of ordering the missile strikes that sank the Moskva near Zmiinyi (Snake) Island on April 14, 2022. Russian authorities also blamed Shubin for a prior attack on the frigate Admiral Essen on April 2, 2022, and sought damages amounting to 2.2 billion rubles (around $28.4 million).
The court release claims the Moskva incident resulted in:
20 crew members killed;
24 injured;
8 missing, including those who fought to keep the vessel afloat for more than six hours.
In the case of the Admiral Essen, one crew member was reportedly injured.
RBC-Ukraine wrote that this court statement stands in stark contrast to earlier versions from Russia’s Ministry of Defense, which had maintained that a fire and accidental ammunition explosion caused the Moskva’s demise, and that the entire crew had been evacuated safely.
The Moskva served as the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and was considered one of the most powerful surface vessels in the region until it was struck by Ukrainian Neptune missiles in April 2022—a symbolic and strategic victory for Ukraine.
Previously, it was reported that Russia remains the primary threat to NATO, even as China continues to expand its military capabilities.
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