The Moskva was built in Ukraine during the Soviet era and now is the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet in its war with Ukraine. The Moskva was built in Ukraine during the Soviet era and now is the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet in its war with Ukraine. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, a guided-missile cruiser that became a potent target of Ukrainian defiance in the opening days of the war, sank Thursday after it was heavily damaged in the latest setback for Moscow’s invasion. The Moskva had the capacity to carry 16 long-range cruise missiles, and its removal reduces Russia’s firepower in the Black Sea. 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.
