Two Ukrainian Neptune Anti-ship missiles hit and damaged The Moscow, the Russian's Black Sea Flag ship. The ammunition deck is on fire and all hands have abandoned the ship. The Moscow was the destroyer flag ship of the Russian Black Sea fleet. She fired cruise missiles into Ukraine and now she is headed for the bottom.
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| The Moscow before she was hit with two missiles |
She is the largest warship to be destroyed by enemy action since WWII. This is an enormous blow to the prestige and capability of the Russian Navy.
Prior to the Moscow being hit, she attacked a Ukrainian force on a Ukrainian Island and in a radio exchange demanded the soldiers surrender. The soldiers responded "Go Fuck Yourself Russian Warship!" Somewhere, General Anthony McAuliffe, the General at Bastone when the 101 airborne was surrounded in December, 1944, is smiling. When the German commander asked for his surrender, General McAuliffe replied: "From the American Commander, Bastogne, to the German Commander: NUTS!".
What we are seeing is a repeat of the lessons of history- a big and well equipped but unmotivated army is no match for a smaller, well trained and highly motivated army. At the start of WWII Germany had the largest and most professional army in the world. A bunch of young men, citizen soldiers, from the cities and plains of the United States put on a uniform, learned to shoot a rifle, and emerged victorious. Two hundred and fifty thousand British men, their country facing imminent invasion, went to Egypt and defeated Germany's best tank divisions and their most brilliant general, while 18 and 19 year old pilots dueled and beat the Luftwaffe over the skies of their country.
As we marvel at the bravery and courage of the Ukrainians, the words of Winston Spencer Churchill ring true once again: Never was so much owed by so many to so few.
Well done Ukraine. Well done indeed.