Warships (illustrative)
Warships (illustrative)istock

Russia’s flagship Black Sea missile cruiser has been badly damaged after an ammunition explosion.

The explosion caused the crew to have to evacuate, Russian state media reported.

The Russian defense ministry said that ammunition on the Moskva cruiser exploded triggering a fire. The cause of the explosion was unknown. The 610-foot ship with a crew of 510 is still afloat.

“The vessel is seriously damaged. The entire crew have been evacuated,” the ministry said in a statement.

According to BBC News, Ukraine claimed that it hit the ship with Neptune missiles, and alleged that the ship began to sink.

The Moskva has been a major part of Russia’s naval battle against Ukraine. At the beginning of the war, the ship called on Ukrainian border troops in the Black Sea to surrender. They responded with a radio message in which they refused.

As of Thursday afternoon, the fire had been contained and the ship was returning to port.