The Kremlin declined to provide any details about the victims of the sinking of Russia’s guided-missile cruiser Moskva on Tuesday, as parents demanded answers about their children who had gone missing.
Last week, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet sank after an explosion and fire caused by explosive armaments, according to Ukraine.
The crew of the battleship, which can carry up to 680 sailors, was evacuated, according to Russian authorities, but no further information were provided.
Parents and other family members of sailors who served on the Moskva, including conscripts, turned to social media after the ship sank, claiming their children had gone missing and demanding answers.
When asked about the situation, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman stated Tuesday that the Kremlin was not in a position to comment.
“All communication goes through the defence ministry,” Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson, said. “The defense ministry issues all information on this, and we are not authorised to divulge anything here.”
Several families have expressed their inability to locate their children who were serving aboard the Moskva on social media or in statements to independent Russian or foreign media.
Yegor Shkrebets, Dmitry Shkrebets’ conscript son, was a cook on the ship and was now reported as missing in action, according to Dmitry Shkrebets.
He wrote on VKontakte, Russia’s largest social network, that “a conscript who was not intended to take part in hostilities is classified as missing.”
He claimed that once he attempted to discover more about the disaster, the cruiser’s commander and his deputy went silent.
Shkrebets said on Monday that he had spoken with three additional families whose conscripted sons went missing following the sinking.
“We need documented responses to our questions concerning our children’s whereabouts,” Shkrebets stated.
According to Meduza, an independent Russian-language news website, 37 members of the Moskva’s crew died, citing a source close to the Black Sea command.
According to the publication, some 100 individuals were wounded, with the exact number of missing men unknown.
The Moskva had about 500 people on board when it was attacked, according to Meduza, who cited a source.
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