Ukraine's Operational Command South also said in a statement Thursday that the Moskva (a missile cruiser that was built and commissioned in 1982) was hit by Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles.
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"In the Black Sea operational zone, Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles hit the cruiser Moskva, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet -- it received significant damage," the statement said. "A fire broke out. Other units of the ship's group tried to help, but a storm and a powerful explosion of ammunition overturned the cruiser and it began to sink."
Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said "we can't figure out what happened," suggesting confusion over what occurred.
In Thursday's statement, the Russian ministry said the "crew of the cruiser was evacuated to ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the area," and measures were being take to tow the cruiser to port.