Russia has admitted that the Slava-class cruiser Moskva has sunk. As the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva served a key role as both a command vessel and air defense node, Report informs, citing UK Ministry of Defense intelligence.
"The Soviet-era vessel was one of only three Slava-class cruisers in the Russian navy. Originally commissioned in 1979, the Moskva had completed an extensive refit designed to improve its capability and only returned to operational status in 2021.
"This incident means Russia has now suffered damage to two key naval assets since invading Ukraine, the first being Russia's Alligator-class landing ship Saratov on 24 March. Both events will likely lead Russia to review its maritime posture in the Black Sea," DefenceHQ tweeted.