As Putin’s forces gather for another strike, support for his action has fallen dramatically across the region

• Russia-Ukraine war: latest developments

The city of Kramatorsk feels empty. Only a handful of supermarkets, restaurants and hotels are still open. Windows along the main streets are boarded up. Many residents have moved out of their apartment blocks and into houses in neighbouring villages, where they judge it will be safer.

The few locals walking around behave as if they can’t hear the sirens blaring and appear not to flinch from the occasional thunder of incoming shells.

Kremlin yet to release details of possible casualties on Black Sea flagship, as Ukrainians hail its demise

• Ukraine-Russia war – latest updates

Ukraine has said it is bracing itself for revenge attacks from Russia after the “significant and symbolic” sinking of Russia’s flagship cruiser, the Moskva.

The government in Kyiv said it had destroyed the giant missile cruiser during a combat operation against Russian vessels in the Black Sea on Wednesday. The boat’s ammunition deck exploded after it was hit by two Neptune anti-ship missiles, it added.

Analysis: ship’s sinking will shock Russian public and is latest sign war in Ukraine will not end soon

• Ukraine-Russia war – latest updates

As Russian media and officials struggled on Friday to explain the sinking of the country’s Black Sea flagship, it was clear that the loss of the cruiser and an untold number of its estimated 510 crew was a blow to Vladimir Putin’s war plans and his military’s prestige.

From the beginning, the Russian government tried to play down what had happened. At first its defence ministry claimed an accident had caused a fire onboard. Then the ministry said the damage had been contained and the ship was being towed to port in Sevastopol. Finally, late on Thursday, the ministry announced that the ship had sunk in “stormy seas”.

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The UK’s Ministry of Defence has responded to reports of the apparent attack on and sinking of Russia’s Black Sea fleet’s flagship.

The report, released shortly after 6am GMT, reads:

Russia has admitted that the Slava-class cruiser Moskva has sunk. As flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, the Moskva served a key role as both a command vessel and air defence node.

The Soviet-era vessel was one of only three Slava-class cruisers in the Russian navy. Originally commissioned in 1979, the Moskva had completed an extensive refit designed to improve its capability and only returned to operational status in 2021.

Russia initially denied reports that warship sank, then later claimed it went down in stormy seas while being towed to port after fire

Russia’s Black Sea flagship missile cruiser, the Moskva, has sunk while being towed to a port after an explosion, the Russian defence ministry has claimed. It comes after Ukraine on Wednesday said its military struck the Moskva with Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles, while distracting its crew with an aerial drone, causing it to start sinking and forcing the crew of 500 to abandon ship.

Russia’s defence ministry initially denied reports that it had sunk and claimed the fires had been extinguished. It said four Russian ships that had gone to the Moskva’s rescue were hampered by bad weather and by ammunition blowing up on board.

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Ukraine’s president Zelenskiy called for an oil embargo in his latest national address.

First of all, we need an oil embargo. And Europe’s clear readiness to give up all Russian energy.

The European Union must stop sponsoring Russia’s military machine.”

Defence ministry ‘investigating’ what happened to Black Sea flagship and claims all 510 crew are safe

• Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates

Russia’s defence ministry said it was investigating what happened to its flagship cruiser Moskva after Ukraine said it had hit the vessel with an anti-ship missile, forcing its crew to abandon ship.

The ministry denied reports the warship had sunk to the bottom of the Black Sea. It said the Moskva had “retained buoyancy”, with fires extinguished and the crew transferred to another vessel.