From the Daily Kos:
If the Moskva’s command did not consider the possibility of a shore-based cruise missile attack and failed to consistently enforce the highest condition of readiness, this would have been a serious oversight.
Once the missiles struck, depending on their point of impact, major fires and flooding could have resulted. Fire is the bane of all sailors and the use of fire-fighting water can exacerbate the flooding and resultant degradation of stability. The reported explosion of ordnance and fires suggest that rocket motors may have ignited. Rocket motor fires are very difficult to control as they have their own source of oxygen and cannot be extinguished with CO2 or without using copious amounts of water. A hit near the waterline would cause massive flooding that might not have been able to be controlled. Maintaining a high condition of readiness, i.e. all hatches and doors shut might have helped control internal flooding but whether it was in place is unknown.
A ship’s hull that is compromised at or below the waterline is very difficult to right or even move without the assistance of other ships. In stormy weather, that would be near impossible. Ships seldom go down upright. At some point, stability is so compromised they list steeply and usually capsize.
Survivability at sea depends on adherence to strict damage control protocols, assistance from other vessels and heroic, professional action by the surviving crew. I suspect one or more of these was MIA on the Moskva.
The Moskva carried a complement of 510, including officers. If 58 is an accurate count of survivors, then 452 men went down with the flagship of the Black Sea fleet….