Ukraine's navy has refused to confirm that there was "anger," "surprise," and "panic" among the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden after Ukraine sunk the Mosvka, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in April 2022.
Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said he "cannot confirm this information in any way," insisting there were multiple factors other than U.S. intelligence that played a role in one of Kyiv’s most significant early victories in the full-scale war.
"At that moment — it was the outset of a full-scale invasion — in fact, the situation was quite dynamic and depended on many vectors, many decisions, both on land and at sea," he said on national TV.
The Moskva sank on April 14, 2022, after being struck by two Ukrainian R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles, leading to the total loss of the $750 million vessel and an unknown number of casualties from its crew of 500.
Russia has tried to cover up their fates and downplay the ship’s significance.
That wouldn’t be so easy. Moskva was the first Russian flagship to be sunk since the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War. It played a key role in Russia’s naval assault on Ukraine at the start of the 2022 invasion, and helped provide air cover for other Russian ships in the Black Sea and capture Snake Island.
According to the New York Times, American and Ukrainian naval officers were on an intelligence sharing call when the former noticed the ship on radar screens.
"Oh my God. Thanks a lot. Bye," the Ukrainians reportedly replied.
The U.S. was reportedly taken aback by the attack because Ukraine hadn't given notice of their attack plans in advance, nor was the U.S. aware that Ukraine possessed the kind of weaponry capable of sinking a warship, according to the New York Times.
The Biden administration also didn't want Ukraine to attack "a potent symbol of Russian power," highlighting the delicate balance Washington has maintained since the war’s outset — arming Kyiv while trying to avert a broader confrontation with Moscow.
The sinking marked a major Ukrainian victory in the full-scale war, and dealt a major blow to Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
Famously, it was the same ship that weeks earlier ordered Ukrainian marines on Snake Island to surrender, only to be given their now-iconic reply: "Russian warship, go f*ck yourself."
The phrase has been immortalized in Ukrainian culture in a myriad of ways including the issuing of a special series of stamps.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
