On a warship, crew training is the most critical concern. Continuous training should be offered because people operating in various stations of the ship during ASMD must respond quickly without waiting for commands. What happens during ASMD on NATO ships is known as ZIPPO responses, and it is commonly practiced.

The failure of the Moskva to respond to the missile demonstrates that not only do the personnel lack intelligence, but they are also not mentally and physically prepared for this occurrence. There are no records of the CHAFF or decoys being launched, of electronic jamming, of the ship maneuvering, and of the necessary reactions with weapons after the missile is launched, but the fact that such a capable ship is so helpless against an attack far below its capacity shows that the personnel are not well trained.

Another issue related to Russian sailors’ insufficient training is fire fighting and damage control. A 12,000-tonne cruiser is not normally expected to be sunk with only two missiles. Even if it is hit, the cruiser will most likely be rendered inoperable. Of course, where the Neptune missiles strike is also a factor. If it hit near the torpedo arsenal or missile launchers, the force of the blast may have been amplified. Such a vast and powerful ship, however, must be prepared for such scenarios. The crew was evacuated barely a few hours after the accident, and the ship sank the next day. In this situation, the ship’s personnel were insufficient to fight the fire and save the ship. Furthermore, at the time of the explosion, the cruiser Moskva was not far from the base in Sevastopol, allowing for outside aid.