Satellite images showed the aftermath of the strike on three carriers of "Kalibr" missiles in Novorossiysk
Kyiv • UNN
Three Russian ships were damaged after the strike on the port of Novorossiysk. Two carriers of "Kalibr" missiles may require extensive repairs.
New satellite images have revealed damage to 3 Russian ships—carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles—following a combined strike by Ukraine’s Defense Forces on the Novorossiysk military port on the night of September 9. According to Defense Express, two of them have lost combat capability and will require major repairs, UNN reports.
Details
The frigate "Admiral Essen" of Project 11356R and the small Project 21631 missile ship "Buyan-M" sustained the most serious damage. Both can launch 3M14 Kalibr cruise missiles.
The satellite images of the "Admiral Essen" show the aftermath of a hit on the forward part of the superstructure, which caused a fire to break out on the ship. The damage to the frigate was previously confirmed by the Main Directorate of Intelligence.
Two ships may be out of service for a long time
The "Buyan-M" was hit in the stern, where a serious fire also broke out. Defense Express notes that the full extent of the damage to both ships is not yet known; however, based on the satellite images, they are currently combat-ineffective. For the "Buyan-M," the publication does not even rule out decommissioning if repairs prove impractical.
The Project 11356R frigate "Admiral Makarov" was also hit. Based on the available images, its damage appears less significant than that suffered by the other 2 ships.
The Ukrainian Navy previously reported that a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile was used to hit the "Admiral Essen." Defense Express assumes that the same type of missile may have been used to hit the "Buyan-M" as well, but there is currently no confirmation of this.
Thus, according to the publication’s assessment, following the attack the Russian Black Sea Fleet temporarily lost at least 2 Kalibr carriers, which will require lengthy repairs.