The night attack on the port of Novorossiysk on March 2 has emerged as one of the most successful operations by Ukraine’s Defense Forces against the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The massive strike, which reportedly involved up to 200 drones, disabled the frigate "Admiral Essen"—a primary carrier of Kalibr cruise missiles.

As reported by Hvylya, a source within the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told hromadske that the strike hit the ship’s central superstructure. The impact triggered a series of secondary detonations, including explosions of grenade launchers used for thermal decoys and radio signal dispensers. The damage sustained by the vessel currently makes it impossible for Russia to use its primary weapon—Kalibr missiles—against Ukraine.

"During the operation, the SBU breached a dense, multi-layered air defense system surrounding Novorossiysk Bay and the port. A fire on the deck lasted for approximately 18 hours, indicating serious internal destruction and complicating the efforts of emergency response teams," the intelligence source stated.

Key Outcomes of the Novorossiysk Attack:

  • Critical Damage to Admiral Essen: The TK-25 electronic warfare suite was destroyed, and ZR-90 Orekh guidance radars were severely damaged. The frigate is temporarily stripped of its ability to launch missile strikes against Ukraine.
  • Systemic Air Defense Failure: The raid disabled a 30N6E2 guidance radar of the S-300PMU-2 Favorit complex and damaged a Pantsir-S2 system, exposing the base's vulnerability to future strikes.
  • Fleet Losses: In addition to the frigate, hits were confirmed on the minesweeper Valentin Pikul. The anti-submarine corvettes Yeysk and Kasimov, along with a Project 1241 Molniya missile boat, also sustained serious damage.
  • Logistical Strike: At the Sheskharis oil terminal, six out of seven loading arms were disabled, striking a significant blow to Russia’s export capacity.
  • Casualties: Official data indicates three sailors were killed and 14 wounded during the aftermath of the attack.

Analysis of satellite imagery by CyberBoroshno experts confirms that a strike on the stern of the Molniya missile boat disabled its power plant and close-in weapon systems. Effectively, the northern part of Novorossiysk Bay has become a restricted-use zone for the Russian fleet following the breach of the port's multi-level defenses. The fire, which raged for nearly 24 hours, highlights the lack of readiness by Russian services to repel massive high-density raids.

Reference

The "Admiral Essen" is a Project 11356R Burevestnik-class frigate, launched in 2014 and commissioned into the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The ship saw combat in Syria in 2017 and has been used since 2022 to conduct massive missile strikes against Ukraine. It is equipped with vertical launch systems for Kalibr missiles, Shtil-1 air defense systems, and a 100mm A-190 artillery mount.