Photographs posted online early Monday appeared to show the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s flagship on fire prior to sinking.
Two low-resolution photos taken from different angles showed a large warship – apparently the Moskva – engulfed in smoke and keeling over in open waters.
Few details about what happened to the Moskva have been disclosed since it sank off the Ukrainian coast last week, and the images – if authentic – are the first photos or videos to emerge of the stricken vessel, a 186-meter-long missile cruiser that was leading Russia’s naval effort in the war on Ukraine.
The photos of the burning warship first appeared shortly after midnight on a Telegram messaging app channel that positions itself as a Ukrainian signals intelligence resource.
It was quickly shared by other Telegram accounts, and on other social media.
“Looks like a legit photo of the Moskva after it was struck by Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles,” military analyst Rob Lee said on Twitter. 