Ukraine claims to have hit Russian ship with missiles, but Moscow reports fire

Ukrainian soldier stands guard in Odessa, on the shores of the Black Sea| Photo: EFE/Manuel Bruque

) Ukraine said it hit and seriously damaged the most important ship in the Russian Black Sea fleet. The missile cruiser Moskva was targeted by Neptune missiles in the early hours of Thursday (local time, Wednesday night Brasília time), the head of the regional military administration of Odessa, Maksym Marchenko, informed by Telegram.

14080458″The Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage to the Russian boat”, he declared. The attack would represent a major setback for Russian forces, which are working to regroup in eastern Ukraine.

Russia did not acknowledge the attack, citing an “intense fire” as the cause of the detonation of ammunition on the vessel. The country’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement that although the warship “suffered severe damage”, the crew could be evacuated.

“As a result of the fire that hit the missile ship Moskva, the ammunition detonated, and the vehicle suffered serious damage,” the ministry said. according to the Tass agency. The statement adds that all crew members have been safely evacuated and that the causes of the “fire” are being investigated.