On 13 April a fire broke out on the Moskva, Russia’s largest warship, leading it to sink in the Black Sea.

Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the missile attack, but the Russian military and media are ignoring such reports.

The vessel, commissioned in 1983, made its debut as the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in 2000.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the ship in the early 2000s when it debuted on the Black Sea.

The ship gained notoriety after soldiers onboard demanded the surrender of Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island.

Ukrainian forces on the island told the Moskva “to go fuck yourself,” The event has now been memorialized on a stamp.

Russia denies reports that the ship was struck by a missile strike, blaming the “severe damage” on an ammunition fire.

Russia has confirmed that the boat has sunk, but blamed the loss on a storm.

The attack took place off the coast of the region of Odesa. Governor Maksym Marchenko broke the news of the strike.

Marchenko: “The missile cruiser Moskva today went exactly where the border guards on Snake Island told it to go.”

Russia can tell two stories, of incompetence or an attack, said Jake Sullivan “neither is a particularly good outcome."

Moskva ship: how big is it, when was it built, what weapons does it have?