The United States was angry when Ukrainian forces sank the Russian warship Moskva in April 2022 because “the Ukrainians hadn’t given so much as a heads-up,” according to a report by The New York Times.
The newspaper published a detailed story revealing that the US was more deeply involved in Ukraine’s war effort than previously known. According to the report, American military officials worked closely with Ukraine from a command center in Wiesbaden, Germany.
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There, US and Ukrainian officers planned military strategies, counteroffensives, and shared intelligence on Russian targets. The key figures in this coordination were Ukrainian Gen. Mykhailo Zabrodsky and US Gen. Christopher Donahue.
One of the key military operations discussed in the report was the sinking of the Moskva in the Black Sea. According to a senior US military official, American and Ukrainian naval officers were in a routine intelligence-sharing session when an unexpected signal appeared on radar.
The Americans identified the object as the Moskva, to which the Ukrainians responded with surprise and immediately launched an attack.
“The Americans go: ‘Oh, that’s the Moskva!’ The Ukrainians go: ‘Oh my God. Thanks a lot. Bye.’”
There was “anger” among Americans that Ukraine gave no “heads-up” before striking the ship. There was also “a surprise” to learn that Ukraine had missiles capable of hitting such a significant Russian target – the flagship Moskva was hit with two home-produced Neptune missiles.
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There was also “panic” – the Biden administration had not intended to allow Ukraine to attack a major symbol of Russian power.
The New York Times report is based on more than 300 interviews conducted over a year with officials from Ukraine, the US, the UK, Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Baltic states, and Turkey.
A European intelligence official quoted in the report said he was surprised by how deeply NATO allies were involved in Ukraine’s military operations. “They are part of the kill chain now,” he told The New York Times.
The destruction of the “Moskva”
The missile cruiser Moskva suffered a precise strike from Ukrainian Neptune missiles on Apr. 13, 2022, leading to its sinking the following day.
Although the exact number of individuals on board at the time of the attack remains undisclosed by Russia, up to 500 people could have been present there.
Kremlin acknowledged only 17 fatalities, attributing it to a combination of “ammunition detonation, fire, and subsequent flooding during adverse weather conditions.”
It was both a great military loss for the Russians and a blow to their confidence. After the sinking of the Moskva, the Russian fleet moved far from Ukrainian shores.
Notably, this incident stands as Russia’s most expensive single military loss in the ongoing war with Ukraine, with the estimated value of the ship at the time of its destruction reaching approximately $750 million, as reported by Forbes.
For Ukraine, in turn, it was a matter of honor, because this ship took part in the storming of Zmiiny Island on Feb. 24, 2022, and a Ukrainian soldier addressed it on the radio with the famous words: “Russian warship, go f*ck yourself.”
It is quite symbolic that the cruiser, built in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, was used by the Russians in attacks against Ukrainians and was destroyed by Ukrainian missiles.
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