Russia’s Black Sea Fleet’s Slava Class Moskva cruise missile carrier was severely damaged in an ammunition explosion on board, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. The official said the crew had been evacuated. According to the information, the explosion resulted from a fire, the cause of which is being investigated. The 12,500-ton ship has a crew of about 500 people.
“As a result of the fire on the missile cruiser Moskva, ammunition was detonated. The ship was seriously damaged,” the Russian Defense Ministry said. “The crew has been completely evacuated.” Maxim Marchenko, the governor of the Odesa region, said earlier in an online post.
The missile cruiser of project 1164, “Moskva”, is the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet. Built at a shipyard in Mykolaiv (Nikolaev) and commissioned in 1982. It was initially called “Glory”.
The missile cruiser “Moscow” belongs to project 1164 “Atlant” (Atlas in Russian). It has a standard displacement of 9,300 tons. This 186-meter ship is designed to attack enemy aircraft carriers and operations in remote areas of the world’s oceans. It is crewed by 485 personnel.
In total, the three Russian fleets have only three such ships. Marshal Ustinov is deployed in the Northern Fleet, and the Varyag is the flagship of the Pacific Fleet.
Ukraine Claims it hit Moskva
Earlier, Marchenko said that “Moskva” was hit by two coastal missiles RK-360MC “Neptune” but did not provide evidence. In addition, Ukraine is also mum on how the targeting information was provided to the missile system.
“It has been confirmed that the Moscow cruiser went today exactly where it was sent by our border guards on Snake Island. The Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage to the Russian ship,” said Marchenko.
Adviser to the head of the President’s Office, Alexei Arestovich, said that this was the “warship” that demanded the surrender of the defenders of Snake Island.
As per a Ukrainian volunteer Oleksandr Karpyuk (Serg Marco), two missiles hit the Russian ship at once. “Moskva” is on fire, lost momentum, and its crew is fighting for the ship’s survival. The situation for the enemy is complicated by stormy weather.
Ukraine’s Neptune Cruise Missile
Anti-ship ground-based complex “Neptune” (RK-360MCs) with anti-ship cruise missile R-360 is designed to destroy warships of cruiser, destroyer, frigate, corvette, as well as landing, tank landing ships and vehicles operating both independently composition of groups. The complex can also destroy terrestrial radiocontrast targets.
The RK-360MC Neptune Coastal Missile Complex was developed in a short time, primarily because the staff of the Ukrainian design bureau Luch has over thirty years of experience in creating complex technological military systems and missile weapons.
The coastal missile system RK-360MCs “Neptune” was adopted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2020. The final stage of the state tests took place on June 17, 2020, at the Alibey State Test Site of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Odesa Region – with the successful defeat of the surface target by two new R-360 cruise missiles.
“The tests were carried out with the creation of real radio interference for the homing missile head and the involvement of aircraft – Su-27 aircraft,” said the ‘then’ General Staff of the Armed Forces.
As per the General designer-the general director of GosKKB Luch, Oleg Korostelov, the production cycle of the Neptune complex is nine months. Three months for the purchase of all materials and components, three more for the manufacture and three more for all tests, both individual parts and the product as a whole, to deliver a serial divisional set in 9, a maximum of 12 months.
More than two dozen countries on different continents have purchased this system, including Belgium, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Turkey, Qatar, and Pakistan.
Moscow has disputed the Ukrainian ‘quick development’ claims. The Russians have pointed out that the missile is similar to the Soviet X-35 or Zvezda Kh-35 or AS-20 ‘Kayak’, which is now in service with Russia as part of the Bal/Bal-E complex.