Families Of Sailors Aboard Sunk Russian Flagship Defy Putin's Censorship With Memorial

The families of the sailors aboard Russia's sunken warship have defied Vladimir Putin's censorship orders not to hold a memorial.

The Moskva, a missile cruiser and the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, sunk yesterday, April 14, it was announced.

Initially, the Russian defence ministry claimed it was the result of an explosion, which had caused the detonation of the ammunition onboard.

Authorities also claimed that all 500 crew members were evacuated.

Tass news agency said: "As a result of a fire on the Moskva missile cruiser, ammunition detonated.

"The source of the blaze on the Moskva has been contained. The explosions of ammunition have stopped."

An unofficial ceremony has been held to mourn the crew members who died on the Moskva (east2west)

However, Ukraine has since taken responsibility for the attack, with reports that its military struck the vessel with Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles.

Odesa's governor Maksim Marchenko wrote on Telegram: "It has been confirmed that the missile cruiser Moscow today went exactly where it was sent by our border guards on Snake Island!

"Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage to the Russian ship. Glory to Ukraine!"

Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Kyiv Interior Ministry, claimed the 'all the crew died'.

And photos have now been shared from an unofficial ceremony, which was held to commemorate the crew.

A wreath placed by a Black Fleet statue read: "To the ship and the sailors."

The Moskva was reportedly sunk by the Ukrainian military (Alamy)

Reports have also been circulating today, April 15, that the Moskva may have been carrying a fragment of the 'true cross' at the time of its sinking.

Back in 2020, Russian media claimed the vessel was due to keep the relic in its onboard chapel.

According to the site, it is a fragment of wood, just a few millimetres in size, which some believe was taken from cross on which Christ was crucified.

Speaking at the time, the Russian Orthodox Church’s Sevastopol District Sergiy Khalyuta said: "This relic used to belong to a Catholic church, but was acquired by anonymous patrons of arts, and it was their will to send the relic to the [Black Sea] fleet.

"The Moskva cruiser has an onboard chapel, where services take place."

The Moskva missile cruiser is a significant vessel in the Russian invasion into Ukraine.

On February 24, early on in Vladimir Putin's 'special military operation', the warship began an assault on Snake Island, a small Ukrainian island in the Black Sea with just one village and less than 30 people.

During the attack, Russian forces asked the small contingent of soldiers to surrender.

"Put down your arms and surrender, or you will be bombed. Have you understood me? Do you copy?" they said, to which the Ukrainians replied: "Russian warship, go f**k yourself."

Roman Gribov, who told the warship 'go f**k yourself', was awarded the honour of the Hero of Ukraine.