The frigate “Admiral Essen” was hit in Novorossiysk: what is known

Ukrainian forces hit the Russian frigate Admiral Essen during an attack on the port of Novorossiysk on the night of March 2. After the strike, the ship can no longer use its Kalibr cruise missiles to attack Ukraine.

This was reported by a source in the SBU.

According to the source, the operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine together with the Defense Forces. The strike hit the middle superstructure of the frigate, which is carrying eight Kalibr cruise missiles.

The attack caused the explosion of grenade launchers firing heat traps and radio signal scatterers. The TK-25 electronic warfare complex, which detects radar radiation and creates interference, was also damaged.

In addition, the strike hit the ZR-90 “Orekh” target illumination radars, which are part of the guidance system of the ship’s anti-aircraft missile system. The main surveillance radar “Fregat-M2M”, which is responsible for long-range detection of air and surface targets, was probably also damaged.

According to the source, during the operation, Ukrainian forces broke through a dense multi-level air defense system around Novorossiysk Bay and the port.

The fire on the frigate’s deck lasted for about 18 hours. This indicates serious internal damage to the ship and the difficult work of the emergency teams.

The SBU noted that the damage significantly limits the frigate’s combat capabilities. Currently, the ship cannot use Kalibr cruise missiles to strike the territory of Ukraine.

It was previously reported that the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed a Russian Ka-27 ship-based anti-submarine helicopter over the Black Sea.

As a reminder, on the night of February 26 , the Defense Forces struck two radar stations in Crimea and a command and observation post in the Bryansk region.