Fears that nuclear missiles sank with Russian flagship as Putin vows to hit Kyiv

"40 cruise missiles aimed at Ukraine": Threat from Russia's Black Sea Fleet increases

The Moskva Credit: @ChrisO_wiki, Twitter

A Russian flagship that sank off the Ukraine coast may have been carrying nuclear warheads, experts have warned.

The Moskva, a Soviet-era guided missile cruiser, sank near the Black Sea port of Sevastopol on Thursday, April 14, after Ukraine said it hit the ship with two cruise missiles.

Russia has confirmed the ship sank but said this was due to an accidental fire which detonated ammunition on board.

Mykhailo Samus, director of a Lviv-based military think-tank; Andriy Klymenko, editor of Black Sea News; and Ukrainian newspaper Defence Express have all warned that the Moskva was designed to carry nuclear warheads, MailOnline reports on Friday, April 15.

“On board the Moskva could be nuclear warheads – two units,” Samus said.

Klymenko called on other Black Sea nations – Turkey, Romania, Georgia, and Bulgaria – to insist on an explanation.

“Where are these warheads? Where were they when the ammunition exploded,” he said.

The Defence Express newspaper said that it had “interviewed experts, including designers and naval officers, who unanimously and independently gave the following answer – there is a real possibility that the affected flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet could have had nuclear munitions on board.”

The loss of the Moskva came as Russia vowed to hit Kyiv.

The number and scale of missile strikes against targets in Kyiv will increase in response to any terrorist attacks or sabotage on Russian territory, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Friday.

“Tonight, high-precision, long-range, sea-based Kalibr missiles attacked a military facility on the outskirts of Kyiv. As a result of the attack on the Zhulyansky Vizar machine-building plant, workshops for the production and repair of long-range and medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as anti-ship missiles, were destroyed,” said Konashenkov.

“The number and scale of missile strikes against targets in Kyiv will increase in response to the Kyiv nationalist regime committing any terrorist attacks or sabotage on Russian territory,” he added.

Earlier, Konashenkov said that if the Ukrainian army continues to attempt sabotage and strikes on Russian territory, then the Russian Armed Forces will strike at decision-making centres, including Kyiv, Russian News Agency TASS reported.


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Written by

Fergal MacErlean

Originally from Dublin, Fergal is based on the eastern Costa del Sol and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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