Be aware of the pigeons, do not underestimate them.



On regards to the Moskova, this ship was "old" but sinking it is was not easy at all. It has 3 layers of anti-missile defences including a long range interceptor similar to a Patriot, a second layer of intercepting misiles (OASIS I think) and then a layer of radar guided Gatling guns.

My opinion, and I have no proof of it, is that this had to be done in close collaboration with an intelligence source that I would not imagine would usually be within the means of the Ukraine services.  For the simulations I have seen, there are some specific water conditions in which the three layers of defence become much less effective. The first one is not of real use for low-altitude missiles like the Neptune, the second may not be launched for safety and the Gatlings are a a game of chance. On top of that, you need to know where to hit the ship to sink it in one shot.

The Moskova was built to be able to destroy a Nimitz class carrier. I am sure it did attract quite a bit of attention from the US and probably they have been keen on knowing the details of its systems. My conclusion is that sinking this ship is a message to Putin, but not from Ukraine precisely.