Russia's defence ministry said the flagship of its Black Sea Fleet, a Moskva missile cruiser, was on fire on Thursday and has been badly damaged after ammunition on board was blown up as a result. Ukraine has taken responsibility for the incident, claiming it hit the 12,500 tonne ship with two anti-ship missiles.
According to Sky News, there was no evidence provided for this, but Odesa's governor Maksim Marchenko said on Telegram: "It has been confirmed that the missile cruiser Moscow today went exactly where it was sent by our border guards on Snake Island! Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage to the Russian ship. Glory to Ukraine!"
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has approved $800 million (£610m) in military assistance for Ukraine, including artillery and helicopters, to bolster its defences against a Russian offensive in the country’s east. Mr Biden announced the aid after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to coordinate the delivery of the assistance, which he said included artillery systems, artillery rounds and armoured personnel carriers, as well as helicopters.
