▶ First images surfaced of sinking Russian flagship Moskva

The origin of the images is unknown. Also, the date when the photos and video were taken and the precise location of the ship have not yet been independently determined.

Both the photos and the video appear to have been taken from a ship near the Moskva. The images clearly show that a number of smaller ships are sailing around the flagship, which may provide assistance to the ship’s crew or assist with the firefighting activities.

Dark smoke can be seen around the middle part of the ship, including at the bridge from which the Moskva is controlled. The ship is clearly listing, it is deeper in the water on one side than in other photos of the Moskva. Lifeboats also seem to be away from the ship, which indicates an evacuation of (some of the) crew members.

Ukraine last week claimed they hit the ship with two Neptune cruise missiles. The Russians subsequently reported that their flagship in the Black Sea had been seriously damaged by a fire that had caused explosions in the ammunition chamber. The Russians remained silent about the cause of the fire.

On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged that the Moskva had sunk. That would have happened when it was towed to a harbor damaged. The Russians have not yet provided any information about casualties. According to the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose journalists now mainly have to work outside Russia, at least 40 crew members are said to have died.