probable sinking of one of Vladimir Putin’s biggest warships in the Black Sea is one of the most stunning military achievements in modern naval history.That’s the opinion of one historian following the widespread reports that the Moskva was sunk after being hit by Neptune missiles in the ongoing war that followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine.In a fascinating Twitter thread, author and historian Chris Owen (@ChrisO_wiki) described the attack on the Moskva, if confirmed, as “likely to go down in history as one of the most audaciously successful attacks in modern naval history”.He added: “If she's been sunk, the Moskva will be the biggest warship lost since WW2: at 12,490 tons she's bigger than Argentina's General Belgrano, sunk by the Royal Navy in 1982 [during the Falklands War].“Apart from the symbolism of her likely loss, she's of great military value as a platform for air defence and missile bombardment of land targets.
Her loss is of great significance to both sides.”The Moskva infamously attacked Snake Island early during the war, when the brave Ukrainian defenders told the ship to "go f**k yourself".
Chris said the Russians would find it hard to replace the Moskva – which was, ironically, built in Ukraine in 1979 – because Turkey has closed the Bosphorus to military traffic.
As to how the Ukrainians pulled off such a coup, Chris said: “Early reports suggest a brilliantly effective combination of tactics, strategy and the exploitation of its own capabilities, combined with awareness of Russian weaknesses.“The Moskva was reportedly struck by Ukrainian-designed Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles.“According to early reports, the attack took place during a storm.
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