Ukraine Strikes Russian Black Sea Fleet Missile Carrier ‘Admiral Essen’ In Novorossiysk

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said its forces attacked the Russian Black Sea Fleet warship Admiral Essen during an overnight strike on the naval base in Novorossiysk.

The attack took place on the night of Sept. 8-9. Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known as HUR, said the operation was carried out with other Ukrainian Defence Forces units.

Ukraine said its forces targeted infrastructure at the Russian naval base and hit the Admiral Essen frigate.

The attack caused a fire on the ship’s deck superstructure, according to Ukrainian intelligence. It did not say how badly the warship was damaged.

The Admiral Essen is a Project 11356, or Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, operated by the Russian Navy.

It can carry Kalibr cruise missiles, which Russia has repeatedly used to strike targets across Ukraine, including civilian infrastructure.

The attack was part of a Ukrainian operation against targets in and around Novorossiysk, Russia’s largest Black Sea port in Krasnodar Krai.

Russian officials said debris from intercepted drones hit industrial facilities and residential buildings. Novorossiysk Mayor Andrey Kravchenko initially said there were no casualties.

Later, Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said four people, including a child, had been killed and 29 others are injured.

He said three private houses, five apartment buildings, an Orthodox church and a kindergarten were also damaged.

Videos and images shared on Russian social media showed a fire at or near the port’s fuel oil terminal.

The Novorossiysk fuel oil terminal is part of Russia’s largest seaport and handles almost 20 million tonnes of fuel products every year.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the port and military assets based there since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The latest attack came less than a month after another major Ukrainian strike on Novorossiysk on Aug. 12.

Ukraine said that attack hit several Russian warships, including the Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen, both capable of carrying Kalibr missiles. The Buyan-M corvette and Vasily Bykov patrol ship were also reportedly hit.

Grain and oil facilities at the port were also hit in that attack. Operations at all three of Novorossiysk’s grain terminals were temporarily disrupted.

Separately, Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi said the Sept. 9 operation also destroyed several Russian missile boats in the port.

He added that Ukrainian forces also destroyed a Su-33 fighter and a Mi-8 helicopter near Anapa, around 50 kilometres northwest of Novorossiysk. Two air-defence radar systems in the Gelendzhik area were also destroyed.

Brovdi further claimed that Ukrainian aerial and naval drones have struck more than 250 vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet since July 6.

References: kyivpost, defenceua