Verdict from a Moscow Military Court
In an absentee ruling against the commander of the Ukrainian Navy, a Moscow military court has formally acknowledged that the cruiser Moskva was struck by missiles on April 13, 2022. This judicial finding directly contradicts the official Russian government narrative, which had maintained the vessel sank due to an onboard fire and subsequent ammunition detonation. The court's decision confirms the attack resulted in 20 sailors killed, 24 wounded, and eight more missing. The Moskva was the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, and its loss was a significant symbolic and tactical blow.
This marks the first instance where Russian authorities have deviated from their initial account of the cruiser's demise. The publication of the verdict, which specified the ship was hit by two missiles, was later removed from the court's official website. Early reports from the Russian Defense Ministry had claimed a full evacuation of the crew, but the new information confirms critical damage, fire, and flooding caused by the attack.
Testimony from a Russian Sailor
The court's statement also curiously asserts that the Moskva was allegedly not participating in the war against Ukraine. Official representatives from both the court and the Russian Defense Ministry have declined to comment on this admission. In a related development, Ukraine's Security Service has interrogated a captured Russian sailor who participated in rescue efforts for the Moskva. He described the horrific conditions sailors faced during the attack:
“There were many corpses, and the rescue operation was mostly very sad. The ship was lost, it sank, they couldn't tow it... I saw enough of what happened on the Moskva, and I didn't want to see more, to die in the middle of the sea. It's very scary. And I refused.” - an eyewitness to the events
This development highlights a new phase in the investigation into the Moskva's sinking and casts serious doubt on previous official Russian statements. The court's acknowledgment of a missile strike may signal a potential shift in the Russian government's rhetoric regarding military events in Ukraine. This could influence public and expert perception of the conflict's events and may have implications for future investigations and international relations. The firsthand testimony from a surviving Russian sailor provides crucial, human context to the official facts and figures.