russians continue to equip their fleet with anti-drone defenses. This time, the focus was on the Kalibr cruise missile carrier—the Serpukhov small missile ship of Project 21631 Buyan-M—which Ukraine had previously managed to disable.
A photo of the ship in Kaliningrad was posted by Massimo Frantarelli on X. Sandbags can also be seen next to the 30-mm AK-630M-2 Duet artillery weapon. Meanwhile, russian propagandists claimed that the fleet could receive "tsar-mangals."
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Additional protective netting has been installed above the ship's superstructure, shielding the sides below it, the ship's upper surfaces, and the bridge. In fact, such "grills" have been spotted on Baltic Fleet ships before. earlier, photos emerged of the Mytishchi small missile ship of Project 22800 Karakurt, which was spotted with anti-drone equipment.
This refers both to the distinctive black-and-white camouflage and to anti-drone structures similar to the unfinished "grill" seen on the Serpukhov. The superstructure and parts of the hull beneath it were covered in the same way. This suggests the use of a standardized design.
In the spring of 2024, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence carried out a sabotage operation targeting the Serpukhov small missile ship. This resulted in a fire that, according to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, damaged communications and automation systems.
However, the russian Baltic Fleet began installing "grills" following Ukrainian drone strikes, such as the sinking of the Boikiy corvette of Project 20380 in June 2026. Additional protection is also being deployed on patrol ships and anti-sabotage boats.
Among other recent appearances of russian ships from the Baltic Fleet equipped with additional defenses is the Kabardino-Balkaria small anti-submarine corvette of Project 1331M. However, only the bridge has so far been fully enclosed, while the machine-gun positions used to engage drones remain exposed.
russians are also actively equipping submarines with nets and "grills". This applies to both the Varshavyanka and Paltus classes in the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, as well as the Borei of Project 955 and Borei-A of Project 955A nuclear-powered submarines in the Pacific Fleet.
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