Parents of the cruiser “Moskva” sailors cannot find their children

The parents of the missing Russian sailors told how Russia is hiding information about the missing crew members of the cruiser “Moskva”.

Militarnyi informs about it.

The mother of Yegor Shkrebets, a conscripted sailor who was serving on the “Moskva” cruiser and went missing, shared with The Insider that she and her husband visited a hospital in Skeliasta Bay, where the wounded from the cruiser were brought.

Approximately 200 injured sailors were there, she said. Overall, according to Shkrebets’ mother, there had been over 500 people on board the ship.

“We looked at every burnt kid. I can’t tell you how hard it was, but I couldn’t find mine. There were only two hundred people, and there had been over five hundred on board the cruiser. Where are the others? We looked in Krasnodar, and everywhere else, we called every place, but we just couldn’t find him,” said Irina Shkrebets.

Yegor Shkrebets served as a cook on the “Moskva”, doing his conscription service there. “They were on combat duty, cooking meals. Since taking the oath on August 14, he had been on board the ship.”

The first time he called his parents after the war began, he shared with them that they had taken Zmiyinyi Island. The last time, according to his mother, her son contacted her via Viber messenger on April 9: he said he would not be in touch, writing from another person’s number.

Search for the dead

Upon the reports that the cruiser had sunk, Yegor’s and other conscripts’ parents began searching for information about the survivors and the dead.

According to Irina Shkrebets, they were not allowed anywhere. «When we went to the unit, the commander came out, made a helpless gesture, and said, «I won’t tell you anything.» I said, «Where is my son?» and he said, «Well, somewhere at sea.» My husband became indignant: «What do you mean, at sea? Where have you been?» – «I was in totally another place.» Those commanders were not on the ship.

According to Shkrebets, one of them is Pavel Borisovich Vakula (Deputy Commander of the vessel, Captain of the 3rd rank), the other is Roman Dmitrievich, surname and rank unknown.

According to Irina, the parents tried to contact the Federal Security Service as well. «We came to the FSS headquarters in Sevastopol, but nobody came out to meet us – they were standing behind the fence, my husband shouted: «Come out and call the police. Let me beat your face up.» He didn’t even come out, he just crossed his arms behind the bars, as if saying goodbye, and that was it. That’s the Navy and the FSS of Sevastopol for you», Irina said.

According to her, they wanted to familiarize themselves with the list of the killed and missing in action, but no agency shared the lists with them.

Irina was also contacted by a commander who had been on the ship: “I said, “Can you at least tell me how my son died?” and he said, “I don’t know anything, they were at the supply station. We had missiles all over the cruiser.” He couldn’t say and somehow avoided saying that a missile had hit the ship.”

Missing

Father Dmitriy Shkrebets said his son was not on the list of those killed and wounded. “My son is a conscript, as I was told by the commanders of the “Moskva” cruiser that he is not listed among the dead and wounded and is included in the list of those missing in action. A conscript, who was not supposed to take part in combat operations, is listed as missing in action. You see, missing in the high seas?!!!”, writes Shkrebets.

Dmitriy Shkrebets also mentions he tried to contact the commander of the cruiser or his deputy, but after Shkrebets attempted to learn more about the incident, they broke contact. «I asked directly: why are you, the officers, alive while my son, a conscript, has died?» the post reads.

Earlier, another conscript who had served on the “Moskva” cruiser was reported missing. His mother Ulyana Tarasova wrote that her son Mark was missing upon the sinking of the cruiser.

Earlier, journalists found a post on social networks dedicated to the death of 41-year-old midshipman Ivan Vakhrushev. He served in combat unit number five as an electrician.

His wife, Varvara Vakhrusheva, confirmed that the sailors died as a result of the “Moskva” incident. According to her, the command informed her about the serviceman’s death in the afternoon of April 14. Vakhrusheva also said that 27 members of the cruiser’s crew had disappeared.

On April 16, the Russian Defense Ministry showed a video of the crew of the sunken “Moskva” cruiser meeting Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. Approximately 100 sailors were featured in the video. Next to Yevmenov (in the center of the photo), the captain of the “Moskva” Anton Kuprin can be seen.

On the evening of April 13, the Ukrainian authorities stated that the Russian cruiser “Moskva” was hit by Neptun missiles. A fire broke out on the ship, which was positioned in the Black Sea – south of Odesa. On the evening of April 14, the Defense Ministry claimed that the cruiser sank while being towed to port «due to hull damage sustained during the fire from the detonation of ammunition.» The crew was reportedly evacuated to the Black Sea Fleet ships stationed in the area.