The U.S. government was frustrated that Ukraine did not disclose its plans to sink the Russian missile cruiser Moskva, according to The Partnership: The Secret History of the War in Ukraine, a report by The New York Times.

The destruction of the Moskva was a significant blow to the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s combat capabilities and reputation, marking the largest loss of a warship in combat since World War II.

“The sinking was a signal triumph — a display of Ukrainian skill and Russian ineptitude. But the episode also reflected the disjointed state of the Ukrainian-American relationship in the first weeks of the war,” the report notes.

According to The New York Times, U.S. officials were frustrated that they had not been informed about the operation in advance.

They were also surprised that Ukraine had missiles capable of hitting such a vessel.

At the time, the Biden administration had not intended to allow Ukraine to carry out such strikes, causing alarm in Washington.

The destruction of the Moskva

The Moskva was the largest warship in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and one of three Project 1164 Atlant-class guided missile cruisers designed for countering enemy carrier strike groups.

On April 13, 2022, Ukrainian forces struck the vessel near Zmiyinyi Island with Neptun cruise missiles, causing severe damage.

Read more: How the cruiser Moskva sank

The next day, Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that the cruiser had sunk while being towed to port.

Analysis of radar satellite images of the northern Black Sea from allowed the identification of the sunken vessel.

Satellite radar imagery from April 13 later confirmed the ship’s final location at approximately 45°10’43.39″N, 30°55’30.54″E, east of Snake Island, about 150 km from Odesa and 90 km from the Ukrainian coast.