Kathrine Frich
Ukraine’s campaign against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has increasingly relied on drones to strike naval targets far from the front lines.
Recent attacks have targeted the Russian naval base in Novorossiysk, one of Moscow’s key ports on the Black Sea.
New reports now suggest additional damage was inflicted during the large-scale operation.
Ships reportedly hit
The Russian frigate Admiral Essen and a Molniya-class missile patrol boat were critically damaged during the Ukrainian drone attack on the port of Novorossiysk, according to reports.
OSINT analysts from the Telegram channel CyberBoroshno said the frigate’s central superstructure was struck during the assault.
Sources within Ukraine’s Security Service told Ukrainska Pravda that the vessel “is no longer capable of launching Kalibr missiles at Ukraine.”
Critical systems damaged
Reports indicate that several of the frigate’s key combat systems were affected by the strike.
According to the Kyiv Independent, grenade launchers used to deploy defensive countermeasures exploded during the attack.
The TK-25 electronic warfare system, which detects radar radiation and generates jamming signals, was also reportedly damaged.
Additional equipment, including the ZR-90 “Oreh” radar used for missile guidance and the Fregat-M2M surveillance radar responsible for long-range detection, was also affected.
Patrol boat struck
In addition to the frigate, analysts reported that a Molniya-class missile patrol boat was hit during the same attack.
The damage reportedly occurred near the stern of the vessel, where its propulsion systems are located.
If confirmed, such damage could significantly limit the boat’s operational capability.
Large-scale drone operation
The attack was part of a major Ukrainian operation targeting the main base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Novorossiysk on March 2.
According to Ukrainian officials, around 200 aerial and maritime drones were used to strike the naval port.
Kyiv previously said five Russian vessels were damaged in the operation, although only three were initially identified: the minesweeper Valentin Pikul and two Albatros-class corvettes, Yeysk and Kasimov.
Sources: L’Independent, Ukrainska Pravda, Kyiv Independent,
