Sinking of the Moskva

On April 13, 2022, the Moskva — flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet and a guided missile cruiser — was struck by two Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles and sank on April 14 while being towed to port. Russia initially claimed an onboard fire caused an ammunition explosion, later confirming the ship had sunk without acknowledging the Ukrainian strike. The Moskva was the largest warship sunk in combat since the Falklands War in 1982. Its sinking demonstrated Ukraine's capacity for precision strikes on naval targets and reduced Russian Black Sea operational capability.