Ukraine's official Twitter account became the talk of the internet when it mocked the Russian state in the hours after the Ukrainian military reported it had conducted a successful missile strike that sank the missile cruiser Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
The Ukraine's official Twitter account appeared to take significant glee in the news, teasing Russian military forces with the message:
"Russian warship, what are you sinking?"
Russian warship, what are you sinking?— Ukraine / \u0423\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0430 (@Ukraine / \u0423\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0430) 1649967212
Russia's military has downplayed the sinking of the Moskva and the country's Defense Ministry claimed any damage to the ship was caused by a fire and it later sank while being towed in a storm.
But Ukraine disputed that account, saying it struck the vessel with Ukrainian-made Neptune missiles, marking the first time they've been used in combat.
The New York Times reported the sinking of the Moskva proved "a potent symbolic victory for the Ukrainian military," an assesment no doubt endorsed by the Ukrainian government.
The tweet quickly went viral.
Many on the platform agreed whoever wrote the post has some serious social media cred while others broke out the memes.
I\u2019d like to nominate this tweet for a Pulitzer. Anyone know how I can do that? #UkraineWar #moskvabyebyehttps://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1514698388926873604\u00a0\u2026— Natalie Bryant (@Natalie Bryant) 1650021178
whoever is running this accounthttps://twitter.com/ukraine/status/1514698388926873604\u00a0\u2026— BloodyHolly (@BloodyHolly) 1650038434
Ukrainian tractor:\n\n"I think I can, I think I can."— David Weaver (@David Weaver) 1649968974
Achievement unlocked! Level up!https://twitter.com/ukraine/status/1514698388926873604\u00a0\u2026— Antifascist Troll Farmer Icon (@Antifascist Troll Farmer Icon) 1650019329
Trolling on an international war level.\nAnd I\u2019m here for it.https://twitter.com/ukraine/status/1514698388926873604\u00a0\u2026— Ben Ward (@Ben Ward) 1650024563
Imagine getting one of your best ships sunk and then get dragged on the bird app. Couldn\u2019t be my countryhttps://twitter.com/ukraine/status/1514698388926873604\u00a0\u2026— dunnah, tweeting from the fifth dimension (@dunnah, tweeting from the fifth dimension) 1650025624
pic.twitter.com/Fd9eR2t4u8— I STAND WITH UKRAINE \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc89 (@I STAND WITH UKRAINE \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc89) 1649968259
A government account trolling....I love it.https://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1514698388926873604\u00a0\u2026— Travis (@Travis) 1649979334
This shade is savage.https://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1514698388926873604\u00a0\u2026— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@BrooklynDad_Defiant!) 1650004541
pic.twitter.com/YkmePFZy0U— Paul Leigh \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 I Stand With Ukraine (@Paul Leigh \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 I Stand With Ukraine) 1649983645
Ukraine got jokes.https://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1514698388926873604\u00a0\u2026— \ud83c\udf35Michael #LeadWithValues Harris (@\ud83c\udf35Michael #LeadWithValues Harris) 1649993777
pic.twitter.com/D12brNxTyX— Waldemar Schneider (@Waldemar Schneider) 1649967825
Lmfao to a whole new level. Peace and love to Ukraine.https://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1514698388926873604\u00a0\u2026— Elpasoerict (@Elpasoerict) 1649983019
Someone put the \u201cMy Heart Will Go On\u201d music from Titanic over this yesterday pic.twitter.com/ttZjSGKUka— scjo (@scjo) 1649967595
After successfully destroying two Ukrainian missiles with its hull. \nWell done!— Jens Renner \ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\u2764\ufe0f\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Jens Renner \ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\u2764\ufe0f\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1649998896
pic.twitter.com/NMOtrnavfZ— Special Agent Dale Cooper\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Special Agent Dale Cooper\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1649968089
pic.twitter.com/VLMDTAmHwA— FUCK PUTIN (@FUCK PUTIN) 1649967868
pic.twitter.com/M3ymYZrEdi— Katrina \ud83d\udc1d \ud83d\ude86 (@Katrina \ud83d\udc1d \ud83d\ude86) 1649969300
Russian state television has attempted the spin the sinking of the Moskva as just a temporary setback but that narrative does not appear to have been accepted by the average Russian citizen.
According to Andrei Medvedev, a journalist at the state-run broadcaster VGTRK and a deputy for the Moscow city council, the loss of the ship is a blow "from a reputational and a military point of view" but stopped short of calling it a "catastrophe."
The ship's sinking, said the political analyst Alexander Baunov, lies "in sharp contrast with the image of a successfully modernised army promoted by Russian officials and state-owned media, and with the self-confidence with which Russia embarked on this war."
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