This is how Russian ships burn, Russian ships burn, Russian ships burn.....

First Images of the Lost Russian Cruiser Moskva Emerge

THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

The first images believed to be of the damaged cruiser Moskva began circulating on social media on Sunday, and open-source intelligence analysts suggest that the photos appear to be authentic. They match closely with previous images of Moskva, and the details of the scene align closely with one of the two competing accounts of the vessel's demise. 

Moskva was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, and she was the largest surface combatant lost in action since the end of the Second World War. The Russian Navy has released very little information about the circumstances of her sinking. According to official accounts carried by Russian state media, the Moskva was badly damaged by an accidental fire and a magazine explosion, and later went down in rough weather while under tow. No official casualty numbers have been released. 

The government of Ukraine has claimed that it hit the Moskva with two domestically-produced Neptune anti-ship missiles from a coastal defense battery. The Pentagon has confirmed Ukraine's account of the casualty. 

If verified, the photos appear consistent with an anti-ship missile strike, according to independent open-source analysts. The most detailed image  appears to show two holes amidships at the waterline, just below the stacks on the port side. Significant fire damage is visible above decks, and the ship has a pronounced list to port. Black smoke marks at multiple hull penetrations near the main deck level are consistent with an internal fire running aft of the site of impact, according to analysts. The two streams of water behind the ship may be from the monitors of a firefighting tug, which may be obscured behind the Moskva's hangar structure aft.