The Moskva, a Russian warship damaged in Wednesday's explosion, has sunk, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The Ukrainian side said the ship was sunk because it was hit by a Neptune missile, although Russia denied this. Neptune is a Ukrainian-made missile.
It became the first largest warship to be sunk in combat since the Second World War. The Pentagon has believed the Russian warship had indeed sunk after being hit by two Ukrainian Neptune missiles.
As reported by AFP, the Russian missile attack was a "big blow" for Russia. A Pentagon official who asked not to be named confirmed the Kiev report about the sinking of the Russian ship, which Russia claimed was caused by ammunition that exploded on board.
"We judge that they hit it with two Neptune missiles," the official said, referring to a Ukrainian anti-ship cruise missile. So, what is a Neptune missile?
As quoted by Yahoo News, if Ukraine's claims are true, then this is the first time the Neptune missile system has been used on a real battlefield and is also the most significant attack on the Russian fleet.
The Neptune is the first medium-range missile built domestically in Ukraine and is designed to target warships such as the Moskva. This missile is a renewal of the KH-25 missile from the Soviet Union era which is considered outdated.
Neptune is modified so that it can be fired from a launcher on a truck, targeting targets at sea or land. It can reach targets up to 300 kilometers away. While the speed can penetrate 900 kilometers per hour.
The missile was only put into service by the Ukrainian military in March 2021 or about a year ago. The technology is designed to destroy warships or transport in both convoys and individuals.
The full fleet consists of trucks carrying launchers with 4 Neptune missiles, transport/reload vehicles, control and command vehicles and special cargo vehicles.
Russia has superior naval capabilities in the Black Sea, so Ukrainian officials hope the deployment of Neptune missiles will allow the country to keep pace with Russia and protect its cities.
"Neptune allows Ukraine to hit any target in our territorial waters. Basically, this missile is to block Russia's capabilities if they try to attack," said Andriy Zagorodnyu, Ukraine's former defense minister.
In the attack on the Moskva, Ukrainian forces reportedly launched a missile attack on one of the Russian warships with a crew of 510. The ship caught fire and was caught in the middle of a storm.
"Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage to Russian ships. Glory to Ukraine!" Odessa Oblast Governor Maksym Marchenko wrote on Telegram as reported by AFP.