Whether we want to admit it or not, there have been innumerable cases in history where people and nations did not get what they deserved. To give but one example, take Josef Stalin who was responsible for millions of deaths in the Soviet Union. Stalin managed to stay in power for over thirty years and died a natural death. Another example are the many Nazi officials who committed heinous atrocities and still ended up living out their lives in West Germany as respected citizens.
As much as I want to believe otherwise, it is likely that Vladimir Putin will stay in power even though he has committed war crimes against Ukraine. There will be consequences for his behavior, but justice will only be done if he is put on trial. At this juncture, that is doubtful. The same goes for many of the Russian commanders and soldiers who have engaged in war crimes. Nonetheless, there are times when karma does occur, it is especially sweet when it happens on the field of battle. This makes them a source of celebration and fascination. Such is the case with the Ukrainian sinking of the Moskva, the Russian Navy’s flagship in their Black Sea Fleet.
Historic Incidents – Fame & Infamy
Some ships are destined to be world famous, in most of these cases it is because of disaster. Think of the Titanic or Lusitania. The Moskva joins this calamitous group, but its fame rests not on one, but two historic incidents. One of the most memorable early incidents in the Ukraine-Russia War occurred on the first day of the conflict when the Moskva steamed towards Snake Island in the Black Sea, a tiny bit of Ukrainian territory where a small garrison was stationed. Against the odds, when asked to surrender they refused with the now immortal words, “Russian warship, go F$%* yourself.” The garrison did not win the ensuing skirmish militarily, but they enshrined themselves as legends for a simple act of resistance. Of course, in this case the Moskva proved to be too much. Fortunately, for the Ukrainian garrison, they managed to survive and were taken prisoner. The Moskva continued in the ensuing weeks to carry out its mission of coordinating the blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. That also brought it to the attention of Ukrainian forces on April 13th near the key port of Odessa.
While the Ukrainians do not have much of a navy, they do have anti-ship missiles, specifically the Neptune, a weapon designed and made in Ukraine. These can make seaborne operations for the Russian navy near the Ukrainian coastline difficult. This is particularly true when Russians ships get close to land. It has been fear of these that have kept the Russians from launching an amphibious landing. Instead, they have blockaded Ukraine’s coastline. This has wreaked havoc on Ukraine’s exports, especially grain, leading to food shortages and inflationary costs in countries around the world. While the blockade has been one of the few successful strategies Russia has been able to implement, it also led to calamity for the Moskva. The ship was 120 nautical miles off the Ukrainian coast when two Neptune missiles struck it. They had been fired from a battery around Odessa.
Deep & Deadly Strikes – Going On The Offensive
What happened next has been debated as these things often are with competing Ukrainian and Russian narratives. The Ukrainians said the Neptune missiles rendered the ship inoperable. The Russians stated that there had been a fire in the ammunition magazine. Naval experts believe the Russian story was false. By all accounts, the ship was immediately knocked out of commission by the missiles. It later came to light that the ship ended up sinking while being towed back to the port of Sevastopol in Crimea. The Moskva’s loss is a huge blow to the Russians. The ship had served in the Russian military operations which took place in Georgia and Syria. The Ukraine-Russia war was instrumental in providing air defenses for the entire Black Sea region. The Moskva also was a command and control hub, providing direction to all the other naval forces arrayed in the Black Sea. All that has been lost. It now holds the dubious distinction of being the greatest Russian naval loss since the Second World War. The Moskva is also the first cruiser class ship sunk anywhere in the world since the Falklands War in 1982. Its loss will be keenly felt by Russian naval forces.
The sinking of the Moskva also exposes Russia’s vulnerability on the high seas. The Ukrainians have now shown the ability to mount an offshore strike against Russian warships in the Black Sea. If they can take down the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship, then the signal that it sends is ominous. Every Russian ship now must be prepared to come under fire. Ukrainian attacks on Russian naval vessels will likely get more frequent as the British have promised to arm the Ukrainians with their own anti-ship missiles. Reports state that the Russians have already moved further offshore to avoid another attack. While the Russians have a decided advantage on the seas, anti-ship missiles offer the Ukrainians an opportunity for deep and deadly strikes against Russian vessels.
Battlefield Karma – A Well Deserved Defeat
The successful attack is also symbolic of the tactics that Ukraine has used to its advantage during the war. Small units have been able to create havoc with attacks on Russian command and control operations. The weapons being used are lethal and stealth. Conversely, the Russian military is a lumbering giant wedded to slow, heavy weapons systems. Speed is not their forte. They can bring massive amounts of firepower to bear on towns, cities, and military infrastructure, but this does nothing to defeat the small, flexible response groups the Ukrainians have been using to widespread success in every theater of the war.
The Moskva’s sinking was symptomatic of the Russian war effort. Slow, clumsy, and tactically behind the times. It all added up to yet another failure. Some might say this failure was poetic justice. The Moskva finally met its match. It was a rude awakening for a ship that was used to bullying enemies into submission. Those days are over. The sinking of the Moskva shows that battlefield karma exists. The ship will be remembered for its role in the war. History will not be kind to the Moskva and that is exactly what it deserves.
Click here for: The Wounded Pride Campaign – Vladimir Putin, Threats & Egotism (The Russian Invasion of Ukraine #47)
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