Explained: The Neptune cruise missile that severely damaged a Russian warship

What is the News?

Ukraine has claimed that it has damaged the Russian Black Sea Fleet Flagship ‘Moskva’ by Neptune Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles.

What is the Neptune Missile?

Neptune is a coastal anti-ship cruise missile that is capable of the destruction of naval vessels in a range of 300 km. 

The missile system was inducted into the Ukrainian Defence Forces in 2021 after being in development for six years.

The design of this missile is based on a Russian Kh-35 cruise missile, which goes by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) name of AS-20 Kayak.

What is Moska?

Moskva is a guided missile cruiser of the Russian Navy named after the city of Moscow. 

The Moskva was originally commissioned as the Slava in 1983. It was recommissioned in 2000 as the Moskva with refurbished weapon systems and electronics.

It is the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy and carries a crew of around 500 personnel.

Source:  This post is based on the article “Explained: The Neptune cruise missile that severely damaged a Russian warship” published in Indian Express on 16th April 2022.