A chilling audio clip has emerged where a Russian soldier appears to be panicking and calling for help moments before the notorious Russian warship Moskva sinks after being hit by Ukrainian missiles last month. The tape, according to the Ukrainian military, is from the 12,490-ton Russian cruiser before it sank.
Russia had initially denied that Moskva was hit by Ukrainian missiles. However, it later claimed that the warship sank on April 14 after an ammo explosion caused by a storm. Ukraine, on the other hand, has long claimed that it shot the ship with two R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles.
The Sound of Silence
The crew member can be heard claiming that the ship has been hit twice and is now leaning on its side in the new recording that has gone viral on social media. The soldier who can be heard speaking in Russian, shouts for help knowing that the warship will soon sink.
The panicking crew member tells a Tugboat that he is 'Moskva (1)' and that it is "laying on its side" with "two [shell] holes below the waterline."
"Communication with the bridge is cut, there is silence. It's going to the side, it's tilting. The tilt is 30 degrees. It's going to the side," he can be heard shouting.
"There's no way to move. We are going to try and carry out a rescue of the crew."
Russia had initially denied reports that Moskva was sunk by Ukrainian missiles on April 14. However, Ukraine has been claiming to have struck Moskva with two missiles from the very beginning.
According to reports, the United States also has backed up Ukraine's claim that the Moskva was sunk.
According to NBC, an American official stated that the United States gave intelligence concerning the location of the Russian missile cruiser, but that the United States was unaware that Ukraine planned to attack the Moskva and was not involved in the decision.
Down in Two Strikes
The sinking of Moskva came as a major blow to the Russians given that it was the Black Sea's pride. The recording that has emerged appears to be from Moskva given that many of the crew members haven't been seen after that.
Also, Admiral Igor Osipov, the head of Vladimir Putin's Black Fleet, has "not been seen alive" since the sinking of the Moskva, and the Kremlin says he died on board.
The ship gained notoriety in the early days of the war after an infamous clip of a Ukrainian soldier asking a Russian vessel to "go f*** yourself" emerged online.
Moskva is the largest Russian battleship sunk since WWII, and the first of its kind since the ARA General Belgrano was sunk during the Falklands War in 1982.
However, Ukraine avenged the assault a month later by sinking the Moskva. Damage to the Moskva's left side, as well as fires burning below deck and a dense pall of black smoke billowing into the sky, can be seen in videos and photos obtained from a rescue craft aboard the stricken Russian cruiser last month.
Following Ukraine's original claim that commander Osipov had been seized following the sinking of the Moskva, Russian officials reiterated this week that he was at his "combat post" but "not in the mood" to face the public.
The 49-year-old, however, was noticeably absent from Monday's Red Square Victory Day parade, which he would normally be expected to attend, and has only been listed as present at meetings.
Russia has only admitted to one death on the Moskva so far, despite the fact that many more were killed.
