Latest news with #DmytroPletenchuk
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine's navy responds to reports US was 'angry' at sinking of Russia's Moskva Black Sea flagship
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. Read also: As Ukraine, Russia agree to ceasefire at sea, Moscow's battered Black Sea Fleet is set to get a reprieve We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian Navy denies NYT report regarding strike on Russian Moskva cruiser: Operation was carried out independently
Ukraine's Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk has denied a report by The New York Times claiming that Ukraine received the coordinates of the cruiser Moskva from the United States and was expected to coordinate such strikes in advance. Source: Pletenchuk on the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote: "The information you've just mentioned is not true. First and foremost, we did not receive any coordinates regarding the location of the cruiser Moskva, and the operation to destroy this flagship of the Black Sea Fleet was planned and executed entirely by the Navy alone. Of course, we coordinated the decision to deliver a strike with the top leadership in accordance with the chain of command, having received the appropriate authorisation. And naturally, that leadership was Ukrainian. We carried out the strike. So the claims about coordination and the provision of exact coordinates and location are not true – just like the claim that such actions had to be coordinated in advance." Background: On 30 March, The New York Times published a piece describing the negative reaction in the US following Ukraine's strike on the Russian guided missile cruiser Moskva on 14 April 2022. The article stated that in mid-April 2022, US and Ukrainian naval officers noticed "something unexpected" on radar and US representatives informed the Ukrainians that it was the Moskva. It also alleged that after the strike, "for the Americans, there was anger, because the Ukrainians hadn't given so much as a heads-up; surprise, that Ukraine possessed missiles capable of reaching the ship; and panic, because the Biden administration hadn't intended to enable the Ukrainians to attack such a potent symbol of Russian power". Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
