Russian court acknowledges for the first time that Ukraine destroyed cruiser Moskva – Media
Photo: Ukrainian forces destroyed the cruiser Moskva (x.com/osinttechnical)
The Second Western District Military Court, located in Moscow, has for the first time acknowledged that the cruiser Moskva was destroyed as a result of Ukrainian forces’ actions, according to Mediazona.
According to the news agency, the court’s press service removed the news about the verdict shortly after it was published, but the text was preserved.
According to the ruling, the sinking of the cruiser Moskva was attributed to the commander of the 406th Artillery Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy, Andrii Shubin. The Russian court claims that Shubin allegedly gave orders to carry out missile strikes on the ship, which was sunk on April 14, 2022, near Zmiinyi (Snake) Island.
Shubin was also "accused" of destroying the frigate Admiral Essen on April 2, 2022. The court demanded 2.2 billion rubles (approximately $28.4 million) in damages.
"Twenty crew members of the cruiser died from the explosion, fire, and smoke, twenty-four crew members suffered bodily injuries of varying severity, and eight went missing, including during the six-hour-long efforts to save the ship," the court press release states.
In the case of the attack on Admiral Essen, the court claims that one person was injured.
Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that a fire allegedly broke out on the cruiser Moskva, causing its ammunition to explode. The ministry also insisted that the entire crew had been evacuated.
Destruction of the cruiser Moskva
In April 2022, Ukrainian defenders struck the cruiser Moskva with Neptune missiles, destroying the Russian ship.
The cruiser Moskva was considered the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet of the aggressor country.
