<p><em>Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media.</em></p>

<p>Russian airstrikes reportedly targeted Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region even as Sumy region's governor said air-launched Russian missiles hit two locations near the Russian border.</p>

<p>Ukrainian officials said a missile hit a college in Kostiantynivka in Donetsk. Meanwhile, Ukraine claimed it destroyed a landing craft near the Black Sea's Snake Island.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-simulated-nuclear-missile-strikes-il-80-doomsday-plane-477100">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;Russia's 'simulated' nuclear missile strikes &amp; Il-80 Doomsday plane</a></p>

<p>Ukraine's defence ministry released footage reportedly showing drone strikes on a Russian landing craft vessel on Snake Island. It showed another drone attack on a building. The video footage was released by Ukraine's ground forces.</p>

<p>However, it is unclear when the strike took place. Ukraine said it was a Russian Serna-class landing boat.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;What happened on February 24 in Kyiv?</strong></p>

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<p>"The traditional parade of the Russian Black Sea fleet on May 9 this year will be held near Snake Island -- at the bottom of the sea," Ukraine's defence ministry said. The Russian defence ministry however hasn't confirmed the strikes so far.</p>

<p>Russia is due to showcase its military weapons during the May 9 celebrations in Moscow to mark its victory over Nazi Germany during World War II.</p>

<p>&nbsp;(With inputs from Agencies)&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media. Russian airstrikes reportedly targeted Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region even as Sumy region's governor said air-launched Russian missiles hit two locations near the Russian border. Ukrainian officials said a missile hit a college in Kostiantynivka in Donetsk. Meanwhile, Ukraine claimed it destroyed a landing craft near the Black Sea's Snake Island. Also Read in Pics: Russia's 'simulated' nuclear missile strikes & Il-80 Doomsday plane Ukraine's defence ministry released footage reportedly showing drone strikes on a Russian landing craft vessel on Snake Island. It showed another drone attack on a building. The video footage was released by Ukraine's ground forces. However, it is unclear when the strike took place. Ukraine said it was a Russian Serna-class landing boat. Watch: What happened on February 24 in Kyiv? "The traditional parade of the Russian Black Sea fleet on May 9 this year will be held near Snake Island -- at the bottom of the sea," Ukraine's defence ministry said. The Russian defence ministry however hasn't confirmed the strikes so far. Russia is due to showcase its military weapons during the May 9 celebrations in Moscow to mark its victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. (With inputs from Agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Russian landing craft in Black Sea's Snake Island sunk in drone strike, claims Ukraine

<p>Amid the war in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and defence secretary Lloyd Austin are set to visit the country as the Russian invasion enters the third month on Sunday.</p>

<p>The situation in Mariupol continues to be bleak with Russian forces surrounding the city. President Zelensky reiterated that talks with Russia would be withdrawn if Ukrainian troops in Mariupol were killed.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russia-moskva-missile-cruiser-sinks-one-dies-and-27-missing-473147">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;Moskva warship saga: Russia's view and Ukraine's missile theory</a></p>

<p>Zelensky also expressed displeasure over UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's proposed visit to Moscow before visiting Kyiv.</p>

<p>Mariupol officials said the evacuation of citizens from the city was "thwarted" by Russians as reports claim airstrikes were carried out around the city.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, a missile hit Odessa located in the strategic Black Sea region killing at least eight people including a three-month-old baby even as Russian forces continued their shelling operations in the eastern Lugansk region.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Moscow's new 'super weapon' ready: The US warns against use of nukes</strong></p>

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<p>Russia's defence ministry claimed it had conducted the strike on a weapons depot in Odessa which contained&nbsp;"high-precision and long-range missiles". The ministry claimed it had targeted at least 22 other&nbsp;Ukrainian military sites.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/can-fly-16000-miles-in-one-hour-how-deadly-is-russias-nuke-capable-satan-2-sarmat-missile-472592">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;&nbsp;How deadly is Russia's nuke-capable 'Satan 2' Sarmat missile</a></p>

<p>The defence ministry added that missile strikes were also carried out near Ilichiovka and Kramatorsk.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Russia had announced "the second phase of the special operation" with its forces concentrating in the eastern region. President Putin had announced the "special military operation" two months ago&nbsp;against Ukraine on February 24.</p>

<p>(With inputs from Agencies)</p>


Amid the war in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and defence secretary Lloyd Austin are set to visit the country as the Russian invasion enters the third month on Sunday.

Amid the war in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and defence secretary Lloyd Austin are set to visit the country as the Russian invasion enters the third month on Sunday. The situation in Mariupol continues to be bleak with Russian forces surrounding the city. President Zelensky reiterated that talks with Russia would be withdrawn if Ukrainian troops in Mariupol were killed. Also Read in Pics: Moskva warship saga: Russia's view and Ukraine's missile theory Zelensky also expressed displeasure over UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's proposed visit to Moscow before visiting Kyiv. Mariupol officials said the evacuation of citizens from the city was "thwarted" by Russians as reports claim airstrikes were carried out around the city. Meanwhile, a missile hit Odessa located in the strategic Black Sea region killing at least eight people including a three-month-old baby even as Russian forces continued their shelling operations in the eastern Lugansk region. Watch: Moscow's new 'super weapon' ready: The US warns against use of nukes Russia's defence ministry claimed it had conducted the strike on a weapons depot in Odessa which contained "high-precision and long-range missiles". The ministry claimed it had targeted at least 22 other Ukrainian military sites. Also Read in Pics: How deadly is Russia's nuke-capable 'Satan 2' Sarmat missile The defence ministry added that missile strikes were also carried out near Ilichiovka and Kramatorsk. Russia had announced "the second phase of the special operation" with its forces concentrating in the eastern region. President Putin had announced the "special military operation" two months ago against Ukraine on February 24. (With inputs from Agencies)

Top US officials to visit Kyiv as Russia continues Mariupol push

Moskva warship saga: Russia's view and Ukraine's missile theory

Moskva attack: Why Ukraine's anti-ship missile Neptune is a gamechanger

<p><em><strong>Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.&nbsp;</strong></em></p>

<p>Russian defence ministry confirmed late on Thursday that country's guided-missile cruiser Moskva had sunk in the Black Sea after getting damaged during a military operation against Ukraine.</p>

<p>Ukraine had claimed it struck the flagship with missiles but Russian authorities attributed the sinking to ammunition explosions.</p>

<p>"While being towed ... towards the destination port, the vessel lost its balance due to damage sustained in the hull as fire broke out after ammunition exploded. Given the choppy seas, the vessel sank," the state news agency TASS quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying. It said the crew was evacuated.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Russia-Ukraine war: Russian Flagship 'Moskva' sinks in Black Sea while being towed to port</strong></p>

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<p>The ministry had said earlier that fire on the Moskva had been contained and that the ship was afloat. Earlier on Thursday, there were various claims and counterclaims as to what caused the fire on the ship. Ukraine said the ship had been hit in a rocket attack while the Russian side had maintained that the fire broke out as ammunition on the ship blew up. The defence ministry had earlier said that the ship had been badly damaged due to the fire.</p>

<p>Moskva was the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet.</p>

<p><strong>Big blow to Russia: Pentagon</strong></p>

<p>The Pentagon said on Thursday that the sinking of Moskva was a "big blow" to Russian naval strength in the Black Sea.</p>

<p>"This is a big blow to the Black Sea fleet, this is... a key part of their efforts to execute some sort of naval dominance in the Black Sea," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told CNN.</p>

<p>"This is going to have an effect on their capabilities."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/invading-forces-in-ukraine-deported-500000-civilians-to-russia-says-report-471006">Invading forces in Ukraine deported 500,000 civilians to Russia, says report</a></strong> &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kirby said the US could not confirm the exact cause of the ship's demise.</p>

<p>"We're also not in any position to refute the Ukrainian side of this," he added. "It's certainly plausible and possible that they did in fact hit this with a Neptune missile or maybe more."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. Russian defence ministry confirmed late on Thursday that country's guided-missile cruiser Moskva had sunk in the Black Sea after getting damaged during a military operation against Ukraine. Ukraine had claimed it struck the flagship with missiles but Russian authorities attributed the sinking to ammunition explosions. "While being towed ... towards the destination port, the vessel lost its balance due to damage sustained in the hull as fire broke out after ammunition exploded. Given the choppy seas, the vessel sank," the state news agency TASS quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying. It said the crew was evacuated. Watch | Russia-Ukraine war: Russian Flagship 'Moskva' sinks in Black Sea while being towed to port × The ministry had said earlier that fire on the Moskva had been contained and that the ship was afloat. Earlier on Thursday, there were various claims and counterclaims as to what caused the fire on the ship. Ukraine said the ship had been hit in a rocket attack while the Russian side had maintained that the fire broke out as ammunition on the ship blew up. The defence ministry had earlier said that the ship had been badly damaged due to the fire. Moskva was the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet. Big blow to Russia: Pentagon The Pentagon said on Thursday that the sinking of Moskva was a "big blow" to Russian naval strength in the Black Sea. "This is a big blow to the Black Sea fleet, this is... a key part of their efforts to execute some sort of naval dominance in the Black Sea," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told CNN. "This is going to have an effect on their capabilities." Also Read | Invading forces in Ukraine deported 500,000 civilians to Russia, says report Kirby said the US could not confirm the exact cause of the ship's demise. "We're also not in any position to refute the Ukrainian side of this," he added. "It's certainly plausible and possible that they did in fact hit this with a Neptune missile or maybe more." (With inputs from agencies)

Moskva, Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet flagship, has sunk: Defence ministry

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<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidmNs28fbqEoDQ" /><meta charset="utf-8" /><strong><em>Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.&nbsp;</em></strong></p>

<p>Ukraine on Thursday (April 14) claimed that it has hit Russian Navy's Black Sea flagship with Neptune missiles and caused damage to the vessel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Maxim Marchenko, who is the Odesa state regional administrator, stated in a social media post that the Russian ship was hit by two missiles. Although, he did not give further evidence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a post on Telegram, he said. "Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dont-send-weapons-to-ukraine-look-for-rapprochement-between-nato-russia-after-war-says-frances-le-pen-470834">Don’t send weapons to Ukraine, look for rapprochement between NATO, Russia after war, says France's Le Pen</a></strong></p>

<p>On the other hand, Russia claimed otherwise. Contrary to Ukrainian claims, Russian state media said that the Russian warship in the Black Sea was "seriously damaged" by an ammunition explosion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The country's Interfax news agency quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying to state that the incident on the Moskva missile cruiser occurred after ammunition on board blew up.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement, it said: "As the result of a fire on the Moskva missile cruiser, ammunition detonated." The authorities also informed that the crew had been evacuated and the cause of the fire was being determined.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/viktor-medvedchuk-ukraine-captures-vladimir-putin-zelensky-offers-to-swap-him-for-captured-ukrainians-470643">Viktor Medvedchuk: Ukraine captures Vladimir Putin ally; Zelensky offers to swap him for captured Ukrainians&nbsp;</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ukrainian military hit Russia cruiser Moskva, which is the same warship that has been told by Snake Island defenders to go fuck itself. It was hit with Neptune anti-ship cruise missile that was developed by Kyiv based Luch Design Bureau in 2014-2020 <a href="https://t.co/cWrIOZjhbi">pic.twitter.com/cWrIOZjhbi</a></p>
— Hromadske Int. (@Hromadske) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hromadske/status/1514383351762894856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>The mentioned warship, Moskva, was originally built in the Soviet era in Ukraine's Mykolaiv. Media reports had stated that it had entered service in the early 1980s.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was previously deployed in the Syria conflict with a crew of 510. In Syria, it served as naval protection for the Russian forces' Hmeimim airbase.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The missile cruiser carries 16 P-1000 Vulkan anti-ship missiles as well as an array of anti-submarine and mine-torpedo weapons, the reports said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Tectonic shift in Geo-Politics: Russia's invasion pushes Finland, Sweden toward NATO</strong></p>

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Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. Ukraine on Thursday (April 14) claimed that it has hit Russian Navy's Black Sea flagship with Neptune missiles and caused damage to the vessel. Maxim Marchenko, who is the Odesa state regional administrator, stated in a social media post that the Russian ship was hit by two missiles. Although, he did not give further evidence. In a post on Telegram, he said. "Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage." ALSO READ | Don’t send weapons to Ukraine, look for rapprochement between NATO, Russia after war, says France's Le Pen On the other hand, Russia claimed otherwise. Contrary to Ukrainian claims, Russian state media said that the Russian warship in the Black Sea was "seriously damaged" by an ammunition explosion. The country's Interfax news agency quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying to state that the incident on the Moskva missile cruiser occurred after ammunition on board blew up. In a statement, it said: "As the result of a fire on the Moskva missile cruiser, ammunition detonated." The authorities also informed that the crew had been evacuated and the cause of the fire was being determined. ALSO READ | Viktor Medvedchuk: Ukraine captures Vladimir Putin ally; Zelensky offers to swap him for captured Ukrainians Ukrainian military hit Russia cruiser Moskva, which is the same warship that has been told by Snake Island defenders to go fuck itself. It was hit with Neptune anti-ship cruise missile that was developed by Kyiv based Luch Design Bureau in 2014-2020 pic.twitter.com/cWrIOZjhbi — Hromadske Int. (@Hromadske) April 13, 2022 × The mentioned warship, Moskva, was originally built in the Soviet era in Ukraine's Mykolaiv. Media reports had stated that it had entered service in the early 1980s. It was previously deployed in the Syria conflict with a crew of 510. In Syria, it served as naval protection for the Russian forces' Hmeimim airbase. The missile cruiser carries 16 P-1000 Vulkan anti-ship missiles as well as an array of anti-submarine and mine-torpedo weapons, the reports said. WATCH | Tectonic shift in Geo-Politics: Russia's invasion pushes Finland, Sweden toward NATO ×

Ukraine says it hit Russian warship with Neptune missiles, Russia claims it was ammunition explosion

While Ukraine and Russia continue to hold ceasefire talks the fighting on ground has only intensified. With Moscow now reporting attack on warship, a Russian flagship was reportedly damaged due to attack at the Black Sea. Russian navy's flagship sea fleet the Moskva missile cruiser was damaged heavily.

Russian flagship Moskva missile cruiser damaged in Black sea