In late April, Ukraine surprised Russia and the world by sinking Russian guided-missile cruiser Moskva with what one official said were two well-placed anti-ship missiles.
Russia's navy has mostly dominated the waters around Ukraine during the war, so Ukraine sinking the Moskva — the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet — was unexpected and highlighted the potency of anti-ship missiles even against well-defended ships.
The way Moskva was sunk is also a reminder of the deadly lessons learned in another major war 40 years ago.A Slava-class guided-missile cruiser, the Moskva was designed to take out US aircraft carriers and was outfitted with the weapons to do so.
It could carry 16 P-500 anti-ship missiles, 104 S-300F anti-aircraft missiles, 40 9K33 air-defense missiles, two 130mm cannons, anti-submarine mortars, torpedoes, and six close-in weapon systems. Because of its armament and size — more than 600 feet long and displacing over 11,000 tons — Moskva would difficult to sink.
On the night of April 13, the Ukrainian military launched two Neptune anti-ship missiles that flew about 50 feet above the water on their way to Moskva. As they neared the warship, they dropped to just above the surface to avoid the ship's missile defenses.
The Ukrainians had to aim their Neptunes very well, but after their impact, cascading explosions fueled by Moskva's munitions, as well as what was likely its crew's poor training and leadership, helped doom the Russian ship.
Ukraine's military reportedly used a Bayraktar TB2 drone to track Moskva's movements and to distract its crew and sensors from the incoming missiles. The Moskva's sinking is in many regards a reflection of a new age in naval warfare, as the use of a drone to track and distract a large enemy surface ship, making it more vulnerable to attack, is a first.
Since the Moskva was sunk, Russia's navy has largely lost its freedom of movement along Ukraine's coast. Kyiv says its anti-ship missiles have wreaked havoc on Russian warships, sinking 14 small and large vessels as of June.
Surface combatants are by no means obsolete. Aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, and frigates are still highly useful and can fill many roles, ranging from force projection and deterrence to long-range attack and area defense.
But new weapons on display in Ukraine add to the threats that have long challenged surface ships' ability to survive in modern warfare, as illustrated in the naval clashes of the Falklands War.