How Russia losing its Black Sea flagship Moskva could reverberate in Syria

The flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the missile cruiser Moskva, sank on April 15 after Russian forces tried to tow it to Sevastopol in Crimea. According to representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the cruiser was seriously damaged by a fire on the ship and an explosion of ammunition.

The exact number of sailors who died on the ship is unknown.

In turn, Ukraine insists that the cruiser was sunk by two Ukrainian coastal-based Neptune anti-ship missiles.

"This is a big blow to the Black Sea fleet, this is … a key part in their efforts to execute some sort of naval dominance in the Black Sea," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told CNN. “This is going to have an effect on their capabilities.”