*Paromita Das
Russia said its lead warship in the Black Sea sank after an explosion and fire caused by what Ukraine claimed was a missile strike, dealing a blow to Moscow as it prepared for new attacks that would likely determine the outcome of the conflict.
According to Russian news agencies, the Moskva, Russia’s flagship in its Black Sea fleet, sank while being towed to port in stormy weather.
Russia had previously stated that over 500 crew members aboard the Soviet-era missile cruiser had been evacuated after ammunition on board exploded.
Ukraine claimed to have hit the warship with its own Neptune anti-ship missile.
The Neptune missile is based on the Soviet Kh-35 anti-ship missile.
The Ukrainian anti-ship cruise missile Neptune is based on the Soviet Kh-35 anti-ship missile. The missile was tested for the first time in 2016, and it was tested again in the following years.
The sinking of the Moskva came as a surprise because it was Russia’s largest warship lost in combat since World War II.
According to reports, the Russian frigate Admiral Essen was previously damaged as a result of the Neptune missile strike, but this could not be confirmed.
Russia suffers a “major setback.”
The Neptune, which was built in the United States, can be launched from a truck and has a range of 25 kilometers from the coast and a maximum range of about 300 kilometres.
The sinking of the warship Moskva after it was engulfed in an inferno was described as a “big blow” to Russia’s naval strength in the Black Sea by the Pentagon.
Officials at the Pentagon were unable to confirm or deny Ukraine’s claim of a Neptune missile strike on the Moskva.
“It’s certainly plausible and possible that they did hit this with a Neptune missile or possibly more,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
Anti-ship missiles Harpoon
As the war in Ukraine enters a new phase, with Russian troops concentrating their forces in the eastern Donbas region, the United Kingdom has announced that it will supply heavier weapons and armoured combat vehicles to Ukraine.
Among them are the Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which are designed to challenge Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea region. The Russian Navy has launched missiles from its warships into Ukraine.
In recent weeks, missiles have repeatedly struck Ukraine’s strategic Black Sea port of Odessa.
Pounds of Russian artillery Ukraine
Joe Biden has promised to assist Ukraine in acquiring air defence systems with greater range than the shoulder-launched Stinger missiles currently in use, but locating the powerful anti-missile batteries that Ukraine’s military requires is proving more difficult than expected.
The US president, who wants to support Ukraine militarily while avoiding direct conflict with Russia, is attempting to improve defences against Russian artillery shelling its cities.
Patriot anti-missile defence system vs. Russian missile arsenal
Mobile anti-aircraft batteries of the Patriot type would be ideal for this, as their effectiveness has been amply demonstrated in recent years in Iraq and the Persian Gulf.
It is still unclear whether the Patriot system can provide effective defence against the most recent missiles in Russia’s arsenal.
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