Russian warship seriously damaged as Ukraine claims strike

Russia's flagship Black Sea missile cruiser has been "seriously damaged" and its crew forced to evacuate, Russian state media says.

Ammunition onboard the Moskva exploded after a fire, according to Moscow's defence ministry. It said the original cause of the damage was not known.

Ukraine claims it struck the vessel with two of its Neptune missiles.

The 510-crew warship has led Russia's naval assault on Ukraine, making it an important symbolic and military target.

Earlier in the conflict the Moskva gained notoriety after calling on Ukrainian border troops defending Snake Island in the Black Sea to surrender.

What are both sides saying?

Overnight Russia's defence ministry put out a statement that said "the vessel is seriously damaged. The entire crew have been evacuated."

But Moscow blamed the blast on a fire and said it was investigating the cause, without making any mention of a strike.

Ukraine is claiming responsibility for the attack on the 186 metre (610 foot) vessel which it says it targeted with two Neptune missiles.

"It has been confirmed that the missile cruiser Moskva today went exactly where it was sent by our border guards on Snake Island!" Odesa governor Maksym Marchenko said.

Ukrainian presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych said: "it burns strongly. Right now. And with this stormy sea, it is unknown whether they will be able to receive help."

Ukraine morale boost

This is a significant setback for Russia's war effort, for both military and morale reasons.

The Moskva is an old, Soviet-era missile cruiser but it has been the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet since 2000.

The 12,500-tonne warship has been part of a Russian fleet loitering offshore and menacing the Ukrainian port of Odesa.

Whatever caused the major fire onboard - and Ukraine says it was two missiles fired by its forces - the demise of the once mighty Moskva will be seen as poetic justice in Ukraine.

In more practical terms, this incident is likely to result in Russian warships having to move further offshore for their own safety.

How important is the Moskva?

Originally built in Ukraine in the Soviet-era, the vessel entered service in the early 1980s according to Russian media.

The missile cruiser was previously deployed by Moscow in the Syria conflict where it supplied Russian forces in the country with naval protection.

It carries over a dozen Vulkan anti-ship missiles and an array of anti-submarine and mine-torpedo weapons, the reports said.

"To be able to strike so decisively Russia's Black Sea flagship is an enormous boost because it also reduces Russia's future abilities to conduct offensive naval operations, quite seriously," said Samir Puri from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The Moskva is the second major Russian ship known to have been severely damaged since the invasion began.

Black Sea dominance

The warship is a "symbol of Russian naval power in the Black Sea," Michael Petersen of the Russia Maritime Studies Institute told the BBC.

"The Moskva has been a thorn in the side of the Ukrainians since the beginning of this conflict. To see it damaged so badly...I think is going to be a real morale boost to the Ukrainians."

The Russian military has been dominant in the Black Sea since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and has used its presence there to launch and supply the invasion.

Its Black Sea fleet has supported the war with the capacity to launch cruise missiles anywhere in Ukraine, and has been important in supporting Russian attempts to seize Mariupol.

Neptune missiles

Ukraine's defence ministry is yet to offer its account of events, but the regional governor of Odesa claims the attack was carried out by two Neptune missiles.

The Neptune cruise missile system was designed by Kyiv military engineers in response to the growing naval threat posed by Russia in the Black Sea, following its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

According to the Kyiv Post, the Ukrainian navy only received its first delivery of the 300km-range (186 miles) missiles in March last year.

Since the invasion began Ukraine has received an influx of military aid from Western allies, including £100m worth of anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles that the UK announced it would be sending last week.

Infographic on the Moskva Warship