The news of the sinking of the “Moskva”, one of the most powerful warships in Putin’s fleet, caused a stir in mid-April. According to Ukrainian reports, while the missile cruiser was transported to the bottom of the Black Sea by the aimed fire of two “Neptune” missiles, Russia reported that the “Moskva” was fatal to an unexplained detonation of ammunition on board.
The fact is that the Moskva is currently buried about 75 kilometers from the Cape and the home port of Sevastopol at a depth of about 50 or 60 meters – but its final rest is now to be disturbed again. According to the latest reports, Russia is said to have ordered eight ships to salvage “sensitive materials” from the Moscow River.
The salvage fleet consists of eight ships – including, curiously, according to marine expert HI Sutton, a real “dinosaur” – a 110-year-old ship called the “Kommuna”. The “Kommuna” was already in use during the First World War and has a unique double hull, with which it can also transport submarines. Even then, the “Kommuna” served as a floating base for submarines in the Baltic Sea. According to Sutton, it will also carry the AS-28 submarine.
Despite its age, the “Kommuna” is perfectly suited for the rescue mission of the “Moskva”: The “swimming dinosaur” has high steel arches that extend from one of the twin hulls to the other across the open water. Their main function is to pull large pieces in and out of the water. So submersibles – or parts of sunken ships.
It is unclear what exactly the Russian salvage team is looking for. According to experts, however, it could be cryptological material – i.e. radios and keys with secret codes. But weapons and protocols that might be of interest to a foreign power would also be a valid reason for Russia to carry out such a salvage operation.
