The Russian Navy’s guided missile cruiser ‘Moscow’ arrives at the port of Sevastopol, Crimea, following completing a mission to track a NATO-affiliated warship in the Black Sea on November 16, last year. Sevastopol = Archyde.com Yonhap News Agency file photo
The U.S. Department of Defense said that the Black Sea Fleet flagship “Moscow”, which has been called the pride of Russia, was sunk in a Ukrainian attack. The U.S. is in favor of Ukraine’s claims while Ukraine and Russian authorities have diverged positions on the cause of the sinking.
On the 15th (local time), the Washington Post (WP) reported the remarks of a senior U.S. Department of Defense official saying, “Ukrainian forces hit and sank two Neptune missiles on the Moscow ship.” Ukraine claimed on the 13th that it fired a Neptune anti-ship missile and hit the Moscow ship while it was operating in the Black Sea. Russia’s position was different. They claimed that they were not shot, but sank due to bad weather while being salvaged to the port. The Russian Ministry of Defense rebutted the day before, saying, “The fire was caused by an explosion of ammunition inside the ship, and it is being suppressed and towed.”
So far, the United States has taken a cautious stance on the matter. The day before, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed that there was a “massive explosion” on the Moscow ship, but said the cause was unknown. However, following gathering information for two days, it was concluded that the Moscow was sunk in an attack on Ukraine.
The fact that Russia attacked the Neptune missile manufacturing plant in Vasilkiu, outside the Ukrainian capital, Kiiu, immediately following the sinking of the Moscow, also adds credibility to the claims of the United States and Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced that it had hit the facility with a long-range missile. “In response to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian territory, we will increase the number and scale of missile attacks on targets in Kiiu,” he said. Under international law, ships are regarded as the territory of the country in which they are registered. Therefore, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the Moscow was attacked by Ukrainian forces, and that the Russian attack was a retaliatory attack for the sinking.
The Moscow is 187 meters long and 21 meters wide and can carry more than 500 crew. It is carrying regarding 10 Vulcan anti-ship missiles with a range of 700 km or more. U.S. intelligence officials believe she was not carrying nuclear weapons when the Moscow sank, CNN said, citing two senior U.S. officials well-informed.
Heo Kyung-ju reporter fairyhkj@hankookilbo.com
