Russia Tells Moms Of Moskva Conscripts To Recognize Their Sons' Deaths As Accident: Report

The Russian officials have allegedly told the mothers of two sailors, who went missing along with the sunken warship Moskva, to recognize their son's deaths as an "accident" at sea.

The Russian Defense Ministry has instructed the kin of those who went missing in Moskva to sign documents recognizing that their sons went "missing in an accident," meaning they would not be considered dead in combat, reported The New Voice Of Ukraine.

Though Russia has only confirmed one death after an Ukranian missile hit Moskva sinking it, reports quoting relatives of the missing crew said over 40 have died in the attack.

"Murtazaev, Muhammed Serverovich, who served as a conscript, went missing after an accident at sea that involved the Moskva cruiser on April 13, 2022," reads a letter sent to the conscript's mother by Russia's military recruitment office in Crimea.

Mohammed's mother, who asked not to be named, made it clear that she would not sign anything. The mother of another sailor too received a similar letter. At a meeting with the command, the relatives were told that the cruiser was in neutral waters and was not a participant in hostilities.

"I was told that my son was not listed as missing, wounded, or dead. I asked what it meant. They answered me: "So he is in the ranks," the mother of another missing conscript told Novaia Gazeta, an independent Russian news media.

According to the mother, this happened just after the officials lectured the relatives about how Moskva will be recognized as a participant in a special military operation.

"I asked another question: is there any probability that sailors like my son were able to survive, that they had any boats, that they could be taken by a sea flow to a different place. To this, the commander looks at me and almost laughs, and said that was not possible," the woman added.

Meanwhile, the Novaia Gazeta report said the families of the missing sailors have decided to file a class-action lawsuit against the Russian Defense Ministry.

Moskva was hit by two Neptune anti-ship missiles on April 13, following which it sunk. Though Russia initially claimed there was a fire onboard the shit and it was returning to port, they later clarified that Moskva sunk while being towed back to home port.