Ukraine says missiles hit Russian flagship as crew evacuates

Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the ship was damaged but not that it was hit by Ukraine – it said ammunition on board detonated as a result of a fire of as-yet undetermined causes

Moskva in the port of Sevastopol in Crimea on April 7 (Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies/AP)

Ukrainian forces said they hit and badly damaged the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, and Russia said its crew was forced to evacuate as a result of a fire without acknowledging an attack, as the battle shifts east and around the battered city of Mariupol.

The governor of the Odesa region, Maksym Marchenko, said the Ukrainians struck the guided-missile cruiser Moskva with two missiles and caused “serious damage”.