The flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva missile cruiser

One serviceman of the Moskva missile cruiser died while trying to extinguish the fire, and another 27 crew members went missing. The remaining 396 crew members were evacuated, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"As a result of a fire on April 13, the Moskva missile cruiser was seriously damaged due to the detonation of ammunition. Attempts by the crew to extinguish the fire did not succeed," the ministry revealed.

According to Moscow, during the cruiser's servicemen's fight for its survivability, one of them was killed, while another 27 went missing.

"The remaining 396 crew members were evacuated from the cruiser to the ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the area and delivered to Sevastopol," the statement added.

The ministry assured that it would provide all the necessary support and assistance for the families of the deceased and the missing.

The vast majority of officers, midshipmen, and sailors of the sunken cruiser Moskva expressed a desire to continue service on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, it continued.

Moscow had previously announced that the flagship of its Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva cruiser, caught on fire last Thursday after a reported attack by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles but remained buoyant. Russian sources say that the source of the fire on the ship is unknown.

"The Moskva cruiser retains its buoyancy. The main missile armament was not damaged. The crew of the cruiser was evacuated to the ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the area," the statement said at the time.