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Russia says its warship badly damaged as Ukraine claims the hit
Updated 21:42, 14-Apr-2022
CGTN

Russia said the crew of its Black Sea fleet flagship, the Soviet-era missile cruiser Moskva, was evacuated on Thursday and that measures were being taken to tow the ship back to port after an explosion of ammunition aboard that Ukraine said was caused by a missile strike. 

03:29

Russia's defense ministry said the fire on this warship had been contained but left the ship badly damaged. It did not acknowledge the ship had been attacked and said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Ukraine's southern military command said on Thursday that it hit the warship with a Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship missile and that it had started to sink.

"In the Black Sea operational zone, Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles hit the cruiser Moskva, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet – it received significant damage," the statement said. "A fire broke out. Other units of the ship's group tried to help, but a storm and a powerful explosion of ammunition overturned the cruiser, and it began to sink."

Russia's navy has launched cruise missiles into Ukraine. Its activities in the Black Sea are crucial to supporting land operations in the south of the country, where it is battling to seize full control of the port of Mariupol.

(With input from agencies)

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