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Russia's Defence Ministry says its flagship cruiser Moskva is "seriously damaged" after it was hit by an explosion.

Kyiv claims the vessel, with an estimated crew of over 500 service personnel aboard, was hit by Ukrainian-made Neptune missiles. However, according to a statement released by the Russian Defence Ministry, they claim a fire aboard the ship caused ammunition stockpiles to explode causing the damage. It did not specify the cause of the fire.

The vessel hit the global headlines previously at the start of Russia's invasion, when it became involved in the now famous stand-off with Ukrainian troops who were guarding Snake island, a rocky outpost in the Black Sea.

They were asked to surrender by the Russian cruiser, but instead Ukrainian troops told the warship's commanders to: "Go to hell".

Russia is preparing for a new offensive in eastern Ukraine, intending to secure the Donbas territory it deems as sovereign and autonomous to Kyiv. As the Kremlin regroups its forces, the West is accelerating its arms shipments to Ukraine. President Biden recently pledged an additional $800m in military assistance to Kyiv.

Samir Puri is a senior fellow with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), and also a former ceasefire monitor in east Ukraine. He says "It is a hugely significant development, because it's such a psychological boost for the Ukrainians. In terms of the conflicting reports, I suppose the Russian Defence Ministry statement might be a clever dodge simply to describe the symptoms of the attack, rather than actually explaining what the cause is".

(Photo credit: Getty Images / Photographer: Olga Maltseva)

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