Russian defense ministry says missile cruiser of Black Sea fleet damaged by blast
This file photo taken on July 31, 2011, shows the Moskva guided-missile cruiser participating in a Russian military Navy Day parade near a navy base in Sevastopol.
Russia on Thursday said the flagship of its Black Sea fleet, the Moskva missile cruiser, was badly damaged in a blast, Tass news agency quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying.
"A fire onboard the Moskva missile cruiser caused a blast of the broadside munitions. The ship received serious damage. The crew was evacuated," the ministry said in a statement.
Tass did not elaborate on the cause of the fire, but said investigation is underway, citing the statement.
Russian state media blamed the blaze for an accidental ammunition explosion.
The ministry's confirmation of the blast came hours after multiple Ukrainian government officials claimed that anti-ship guided missiles, hidden in or around the coast of Odessa, scored two hits on Moskva.
The 12,500-ton cruiser, the most essential ship in Russia's Black Sea fleet, was officially commissioned in 1983 and armed with 16 anti-ship "Vulkan" cruise missiles.
