Sinking of Moskva warship shines spotlight on Russian navy’s defensive flaws

Chinese analysts say that the missile cruiser is a big loss that will hit morale and Russia’s ability to deter US forces in the Mediterranean

Ukraine says it hit the ship with two Neptune missiles while Russia insists an explosion on board caused it to sink in the Black Sea

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The Russian cruiser Moskva was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet. Photo: TNS

Published: 7:00pm, 16 Apr 2022Updated: 7:05pm, 16 Apr 2022

The sinking of Russia’s Black Sea flagship the Moskva is not just a blow to morale, it also highlights the flaws in the country’s naval defensive capabilities, according to Chinese military observers.

They said that apart from the impact on the war with Ukraine, the loss of the cruiser, which was armed with anti-ship missiles, would also reduce Russia’s ability to deter US carrier fleets in the Mediterranean.

Ukraine said it had hit the cruiser with two Neptune missiles – a claim the United States has backed up – but Russia blamed an ammunition explosion on board for the damage and said it sank while being towed back to port.

US officials said the strike killed an unknown number of sailors, but Russia has not confirmed any losses and insisted the crew were evacuated to other ships.

Yue Gang, a former colonel in the People’s Liberation Army, warned against drawing hasty conclusions and said the ship had not been well-maintained over its 40 or so years in service.

“If a [Neptune] missile penetrates the deck, there will be deaths after the first explosion, but there’s no report of the death of Russian crews, and I believe Russia is unlikely to cover it up,” Yue said.

In 2018 it was taken into dock for scheduled repairs and returned to service in September 2020.