Watch: Final moment of Russian warship Moskva

New Delhi, Apr 18: A few days after Russia's flagship Black Sea fleet Moskva was sunk by Ukrainian forces, new pictures of the last days of the cruiser have emerged. The picture has not been verified, but it shows the extent of fire on the Russian ships that became a target for Ukraine. Russia has acknowledged a fire aboard the Moskva, but denies that the ship was destroyed by Ukrainian forces.

The West and the US too have not been able to confirm what caused the blaze. In his nightly video address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alluded to the sinking as he told Ukrainians they should be proud of having survived 50 days under attack when the Russians gave us a maximum of five.

The pictures were posted by @Osinttechnical. The user however said that the image has not been verified.

Reportedly the Moskva on 4/15 pic.twitter.com/HstqXYUQJf

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 17, 2022

Another photo of the Moskva pic.twitter.com/251AOogyKB

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 17, 2022

Listing the many ways Ukraine has defended against the invasion, he noted those who showed that Russian warships can sail away, even if it's to the bottom of the sea. It was his only reference to the missile cruiser.

I can’t verify the authenticity, but this is a Slava class cruiser and I don’t think any of them have been destroyed in this manner.

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 17, 2022

The Russian Defense Ministry said the ship sank in a storm while being towed to a port. Russia earlier said the flames on the ship, which would typically have 500 sailors aboard, forced the entire crew to evacuate. Later it said the blaze had been contained.

The Moskva had the capacity to carry 16 long-range cruise missiles, and its removal reduces Russia's firepower in the Black Sea. It's also a blow to Moscow's prestige in a war already widely seen as a historic blunder. Now entering its eighth week, the invasion has stalled amid resistance from Ukrainian fighters bolstered by weapons and other aid sent by Western nations.

During the first days of the war, the Moskva was reportedly the ship that called on Ukrainian soldiers stationed on Snake Island in the Black Sea to surrender in a standoff.