Moskva cruiser fire leaves 1 sailor killed, 27 missing

Moscow, April 23. One serviceman of the Moskva missile cruiser died while trying to extinguish the fire, another 27 crew members went missing, the remaining 396 crew members were evacuated, the Russian Defense Ministry said. “As a result of a fire on April 13, the Moskva missile cruiser was seriously damaged due to the detonation of ammunition. Attempts by the crew to extinguish the fire did not succeed. During the fight for the ship’s survivability, one serviceman was killed, another 27 crew members were missing. The remaining 396 crew members were evacuated from the cruiser to the ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the area and delivered to Sevastopol,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry provides all the necessary support and assistance to the families and friends of the deceased and the missing. The vast majority of officers, midshipmen and sailors of the sunken cruiser Moskva expressed a desire to continue service on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, it said.