Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

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Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by MikeJames »

Ukrainian media is reporting that the Slava class cruiser Moskva has been hit by two Neptune anti-ship missiles and badly damaged.

Moskva 2 07.jpg


Russian media is saying an unexplained fire on board ignited ammunition, causing an explosion.

Either way, someone's going to have to explain to Putin how the Black Sea Fleet flagship came to be fighting to stay afloat, with some suggestions she is either flooding or sinking.

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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by MichaelB »

Wasn't she built in the Ukraine?
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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by MikeJames »

Yes, all of the class were built in the 61 Communards Shipyard in Mykolaiv, not too far from Odessa in Ukraine.

4 of a planned class of 8 were built, with Moskva (ex Slava), Marshal Ustinov (ex-Admiral Flota Lobov) and Varyag (ex-Chervona Ukrayina) in service with the Russian Navy.

The 4th, Ukrayina (ex-Komsomolets) was laid down in 1983 and launched in 1990 just before the fall of the Soviet Union. Due to budget constraints work on the cruiser stopped in the early 1990s and the ship was left unfinished. In 1993 the cruiser was withdrawn from the Russian Navy and passed to Ukraine. In 1997 Ukraine stated that it had no need for the cruiser and was willing to sell it. Russia was unwilling to buy the cruiser, China and India were then approached but showed no interest.

The cruiser sits docked and unfinished at the harbor of Mykolaiv.

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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by MikeJames »

There are as yet unconfirmed reports that Moskva has capsized and is sinking. She has apparently been abandoned, no word on how many of her 510 crew have been rescued.

If so it represents a stunning success for the Ukraine and an equally stunning loss for Russia, Moskva was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet and, as a Slava class, was only second in capability, particularly self-defence capability, to a Kirov class.

To have two cruise missiles get past at least three layers of defences suggests either the Russian Navy is as casually inept and incompetently trained as the Russian Army has proven to be over the last month, or a major equipment shortfall that has cost them the largest and most capable warship in the region.

This success has also changed the complexion of the war again, there is no way the Russian's can contemplate an amphibious attack on Odessa or elsewhere on the Ukraine coast while the Ukrainian military still has Neptune missiles available. If it can hit and sink a Slava, an amphibious ship would be much easier prey.

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Last edited by MikeJames on 14 Apr 2022 22:23, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by MikeJames »

Neptune is a Ukrainian anti-ship cruise missile based on the Soviet Kh-35 subsonic anti-ship missile, with substantially improved range and electronics.

Neptune missile launch 01.jpg

Neptune missile fining turning development, hence the orange colour.

It has a range of at least 300 km, which places Sevastopol, the home of the Russian Black Sea fleet, within range from many parts of Ukraine, and from as far away as Odessa.

The number of Neptune missile batteries in service with Ukraine is a subject of some speculation, naturally so on the part of the Russians, with it entering service in 2021 after a long period of trials, with the missile first tested in 2016.

A Neptune coastal defence system comprises a truck-based mobile launcher, four missiles, a transport/reload vehicle with 4 missiles, a command and control vehicle, and a support vehicle. The system is designed to operate up to 25 kilometres inland from the coastline.

A Neptune missile including rocket motor is 5.05 metres n length, with a cross-shaped hard wing.
Neptune missiles are designed to be housed in transport and launch containers.
The system has a maximum range of some 300 kilometres.
A single missile weighs 870 kilograms (1,920 lb), of which 150 kilograms (330 lb) is the warhead.

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Last edited by MikeJames on 14 Apr 2022 22:27, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by MikeJames »

Image of Moskva leaving Sevastopol sometime during the war with Ukraine.

Moskva 2 08.jpg


Open in new tab for the full sized image.

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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by littoralcombat »

I hope it is sunk, as possibly reported.
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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

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A new kit just released by Revell.
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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by MikeJames »

Latest Info.

Media are reporting that Russian officials are confirming that Moskva has sunk.


Black Sea flagship Moskva sunk, Russia says

Russia’s guided missile cruiser Moskva has sunk in the Black Sea after being damaged during the war in Ukraine, Russia’s defence ministry said late Thursday.

“While being towed … towards the destination port, the vessel lost its balance due to damage sustained in the hull as fire broke out after ammunition exploded. Given the choppy seas, the vessel sank,” the state news agency TASS quoted the ministry as saying.

The ministry had earlier said that the fire had been contained and that the ship could remain afloat. It had said it would look into the cause of the fire. The ministry had also said hundreds of crew members had been evacuated to other ships in the Black Sea.

Ukraine said the ship had been hit in a rocket attack.

Odessa military spokesman Sergey Bratchuk said the Moskva was damaged by “Neptune domestic cruise missiles,” in an account largely echoed by the regional governor.


@@@

The loss of Moskva, whatever the reason, is a major blow to Russia. It was the largest and most capable combatant of the Black Sea Fleet, of which it was the flagship.

If an 'unexplained explosion' followed by a fire sank her, then it says very bad things about the Russian Navy's training and safety systems.

If it was sunk by Neptune missiles, that's arguably worse, as it means the most heavily armed ship in the Black Sea Fleet was unable to defend itself from a handful of subsonic cruise missiles, exactly the threat it was designed to stop (US Harpoons and French Exocets). That's a massive failure of either the ship's weapon and electronic warfare systems or the people using them, neither of which is good news for Russia.

It also pretty much means the Russian option of an amphibious assault on the Ukraine coast is off the table, probably for good.

That means that some of the Ukrainian troops who were being held back from the front line to counter a possible amphibious assault, can be freed up to move to the front to confront the Russian Army.

Perhaps the biggest take away from the Russian Ukraine conflict is that the Russian military is ineffective and borderline incompetent, with second rate equipment, training and capabilities.

The extent of the failures of the Russian Army and Air Force were previously on show, Moskva's loss has confirmed the Russian Navy is no different.

The only parts of the Russian military that seem to work, are those that have not yet been put to the test, the nuclear attack subs, the nuclear ballistic missile subs and their missiles, and the land based, nuclear tipped intercontinental ballistic missile forces.

Lets hope they are never put to the test.

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Last edited by MikeJames on 15 Apr 2022 14:18, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by littoralcombat »

If the Ukrainians also get Harpoons from the UK as reported, then they will again 'own' their coastal waters. (if not already)
Certainly it can be claimed that the bulk of the Russian conventional warfare force could argueably be described as a 'Paper Bear'.
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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by MikeJames »

The latest unconfirmed information out of Russia has provided a casualty figure for the loss of Moskva. This is not confirmed, but has been suggested by info emanating from Moscow.

Moskva had a crew or 510, reports are that a grand total of 58 survivors were recovered, meaning 452 sailors lost their lives in the inferno that the ship became and in the storm tossed, burning oil-soaked waters.

That's the largest loss of life on a warship since the loss of the Yamato in the second world war.

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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by littoralcombat »

RFS Moskva prior to sinking, allegedly?

https://twitter.com/i/status/1515959682367733762

RFS Moskva 1.jpg
RFS Moskva.jpg


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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

Post by MikeJames »

That is her, you can see the missile impact site and the panels blown out by the explosive force, the image has been confirmed by sources in Moscow.

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Re: Slava class cruiser explosion in Black Sea

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'Combat Approved' Website Link (Carl has listed the Home address of this site previously) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKSM8fs7Pho

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