On the night of September 8–9, the Defense Forces of Ukraine launched a combined strike on the military port of Novorossiysk, which had become the last refuge for the russian Black Sea Fleet. Now, clear satellite images have emerged, revealing the devastating damage inflicted on the russian ships.
The Admiral Essen, a Project 11356R frigate armed with 3M14 Kalibr cruise missiles, was struck. The strike hit the forward part of the superstructure, causing a fire inside the ship, which had also been confirmed by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence.
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Although the extent of the damage to the Admiral Essen is not yet fully known, available satellite images make it clear that the ship is no longer combat-ready and requires lengthy and costly repairs.
In addition, a Project 21631 Buyan-M-class corvette in Novorossiysk was also damaged in the strike. This vessel also carries 3M14 Kalibr cruise missiles. This time, the strike hit the stern, causing a serious fire.
As with the Admiral Essen, the full extent of the damage is not yet known. However, it is already clear that the Buyan-M is no longer combat-ready and will either require a major overhaul or be decommissioned, as restoring the vessel may not be economically viable.
The Admiral Makarov, a russian Project 11356R frigate was also hit. However, based on the available footage, the damage appears to be significantly less severe than the damage sustained by the Buyan-M and Admiral Essen.
The result is a significant loss for the russian Black Sea Fleet: two 3M14 Kalibr cruise missile carriers have effectively been taken out of service. These vessels had been striking Ukrainian cities since the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, and only a few remained in the fleet. The damaged Buyan-M reportedly launched missiles at Kyiv just a few days ago.
The Ukrainian Navy previously reported that the Admiral Essen was struck by a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile. Given the damage sustained by the Buyan-M, it may also have been hit by a Neptune.
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