Russian Defence Ministry confirms the fifth death on cruiser Moskva – Russian media
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO — SATURDAY, 27 AUGUST 2022, 17:05
The Russian Defense Ministry has recognised the death of Dmitry Cheremiskin, who was the senior midshipman on the [sunken] cruiser Moskva [on 13 April 2022]. This is the fifth confirmed death from the cruiser.
Source: Russian Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit [We can explain - ed.]
Details: Cheremiskin's wife Nadezhda Merzlyakova reported to Mozhem Obyasnit that the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the death of her husband. She said that he was considered missing since April after the sinking of the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
"On 11 August, the death certificate was handed over," she said.
Cheremiskin commanded the ship's electromechanical combat unit. His relatives reported the fact that the sailor went missing after the sinking of the cruiser Moskva, back in May. Then they were sure that the midshipman did not survive.
Cheremiskin is the fifth confirmed dead from the sunken cruiser. Earlier media reported that four sailors were recognised as dead: sergeant Ivan Frantin, as well as sailors Leonid Savin, Ivan Vakhrushev and Yegor Shkrebets. Some of them were considered missing.
In addition, the Russian Defence Ministry initially claimed that only one sailor was killed during the sinking of the cruiser.
Background:
- On 13 April, the Ukrainian authorities reported that Ukrainian anti-ship Neptune missiles hit the missile cruiser Moskva of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
- On 14 April, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the explosion on the cruiser, but said that ammunition detonated on board, the sailors were evacuated and the cruiser itself "remains afloat." The Russian Ministry then stated that Moskva sank during towing to Sevastopol in a storm.
- On 15 May, the Operational Command Pivden (South) published the final negotiations with the cruiser Moscow.
- Experts assumed that half of the crew were killed or injured. Investigative journalists believe that two-thirds of the crew of the cruise ship Moskva might have consisted of conscripts.
- Families of the Moskva sailors, who were looking for them, received a response that the cruiser did not perform a combat mission and the sailors were missing. Survivors, however, said that the cruiser was on its way to seize Odesa.
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