04-16-2022, 08:01 AM
The question of survivors is getting stranger and stranger. I think we can discount the idea that there were no casualties, despite Russian press releases that they had recovered the entire crew. The Ukrainian government has said that attempts by the Russians to rescue the crew failed because of the weather. The Ukrainian government has also stated in a different report that a Turkish vessel recovered 54 sailors. The US DoD has said that Russian rescue efforts were observed, but gave no estimate of how successful they may have been. The commercial SAR picture appears to show several vessels attempting to rescue the crew.
By now, that Turkish ship certainly would have reached a port. The sinking was about 50 miles to the East of the coastline. No cargo vessel has accommodations for 54 impromptu passengers, some of which are probably injured and/or suffering from exposure. Even if, for some crazy reason, the ship decided to complete it's voyage in the Black Sea, it is at it's destination by now. Two days at even 10 knots will get you where you are going. At the very least one would have expected a long message giving the names of those rescued. We don't even know the name of the vessel. Also strange. Even if the rescued crew has to a man declined to be interviewed, I would expect the ship would want credit for executing a humanitarian rescue under difficult weather conditions. I would also expect the press to be all over this story. Yet we hear nothing at all. IMHO very strange. Did it even happen?
We know that the Moskva didn't simply explode and sink. They did transmit SOSs that were picked up by multiple recipients. If she had already rolled on her side, that wouldn't be happening, the radio antennas would be in the water, among other things. There was time for a somewhat organized abandon ship activity. At the very least, there would be some men in the water. The Ukraine seems to be saying she was above water for about an hour, although she may have capsized pretty early on. Not sure the Ukrainians actually knew, but it is the best data point we have. Either way, you can be sure there were survivors. Maybe not many, but some. So where are they? No sign of them in Sevastopol so far.
By now, that Turkish ship certainly would have reached a port. The sinking was about 50 miles to the East of the coastline. No cargo vessel has accommodations for 54 impromptu passengers, some of which are probably injured and/or suffering from exposure. Even if, for some crazy reason, the ship decided to complete it's voyage in the Black Sea, it is at it's destination by now. Two days at even 10 knots will get you where you are going. At the very least one would have expected a long message giving the names of those rescued. We don't even know the name of the vessel. Also strange. Even if the rescued crew has to a man declined to be interviewed, I would expect the ship would want credit for executing a humanitarian rescue under difficult weather conditions. I would also expect the press to be all over this story. Yet we hear nothing at all. IMHO very strange. Did it even happen?
We know that the Moskva didn't simply explode and sink. They did transmit SOSs that were picked up by multiple recipients. If she had already rolled on her side, that wouldn't be happening, the radio antennas would be in the water, among other things. There was time for a somewhat organized abandon ship activity. At the very least, there would be some men in the water. The Ukraine seems to be saying she was above water for about an hour, although she may have capsized pretty early on. Not sure the Ukrainians actually knew, but it is the best data point we have. Either way, you can be sure there were survivors. Maybe not many, but some. So where are they? No sign of them in Sevastopol so far.