US defence officials say it is unclear what caused blast which Ukraine claims to be result of missile strikes
Highlights
- Russia’s flagship cruiser Moskva is on fire but still afloat and moving across the Black Sea, the Pentagon confirms.
- The Ukrainian southern military command claims to have struck the cruiser with Neptune anti-ship missiles, causing it to start sinking and forcing the crew to abandon ship.
- Russia’s defence ministry said it was investigating what had happened, but denied reports that it had sunk and claimed the fires had been extinguished.
- Four Russian ships that had gone to the rescue were being hampered by stormy weather and by ammunition blowing up onboard, it said.
- The incident is being closely watched by Nato aircraft over Black Sea.
- It is the most significant naval vessel to suffer major damage in combat since the Argentinian cruiserGeneral Belgrano was sunk by a British submarine in 1982