A Russian Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate seen at the Russian naval base in Sevastopol, Russian-occupied Crimea, in June 2016. A recent Ukrainian missile attack probably disabled two of the frigates in the Black Sea for the remainder of the Ukraine war. (Shutterstock/yykkaa)
Ukraine Bombed Two More Russian Frigates in the Black Sea
Photographic evidence has emerged supporting Ukraine’s claims of strikes on two Russian frigates in Novorossiysk, the Russian Navy’s de facto headquarters in the Black Sea.
Repeated Ukrainian missile and sea-drone strikes have forced the Russian Navy to withdraw the bulk of its operational Black Sea Fleet warships and major assets from its historic headquarters in Sevastopol to Novorossiysk, located inside undisputed Russian territory far down the Black Sea coast. However, while the relocation may have made it safer than Sevastopol, that hasn’t meant it is safe. Kyiv’s forces have increased their attacks on the major Russian port city, using long-range jet-powered drones, cruise missiles, and unmanned naval systems.
Even though it has no navy to speak of, Ukraine has essentially fought the Russian Navy to a stalemate in the Black Sea. Earlier this month, two of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet’s remaining frigates may have been seriously damaged, and are unlikely to return to combat operations anytime soon.
Assessing the Damage to the Two Russian Frigates
Open source intelligence analysts at Absolutely Reliable Source published photos that showed clear damage to the launch systems on the frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen, two Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates in the Black Sea Fleet. That damage seems to have occurred when Kyiv launched a drone strike on the warships while in port in Novorossiysk on August 12.
“The Russian Black Sea Fleet has lost its far-sea zone ‘Kalibr’ carriers,” Absolutely Reliable Source wrote on X—referring to the two frigates’ ability to launch Kalibr cruise missiles at targets inside Ukraine.
At the time, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that an attack had been carried out on two guided-missile frigates. The damage on each suggests that neither warship may be able to launch missiles in the future. The photos also showed a hole in the bow section of the upper deck of Admiral Makarov, possibly indicating serious structural damage near the eight-cell UKSK 3S14 universal naval vertical launch system (VLS) module, which is likely no longer operational.
Military Informant, a Russian-language open source outlet on the Telegram social messaging app, claimed that the frigate’s Centaur-NM1 satellite communications station and Pozitiv-M1.2 detection radar were also damaged.
Without the launcher and other systems, the combat effectiveness of Admiral Makarov has presumably been reduced so significantly it is now little more than a hulk in the water.
The situation is apparently not much better with the Admiral Essen, which was struck in the bow section, resulting in deformation to its deck and the destruction of the 3S14 VLS. Neither of the frigates is likely able to launch further missiles any time soon, rendering a serious blow to the capabilities of the Black Sea Fleet.
There is speculation that repairs on the frigates could take up to a year, even under optimal conditions. And the conditions in Novorossiysk are far from optimal. Indeed, it is unclear if Russia even has a functioning repair facility that can handle the work; such logistics were typically handled in Sevastopol before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and whether or not they have been moved to Novorossiysk is still unknown. The Kremlin may also have decided against exhaustive repairs; given that Kyiv was able to strike the vessels already, each can be targeted again, and Moscow may have few options to protect them.
Novorossiysk lacks the advanced, heavy-duty dry dock and shipyard capabilities that Sevastopol previously provided—so Russia may have few options but to move the vessels to another port deeper in its territory. If past is prologue, even that may not be far enough to keep them out of the crosshairs.
About Russia’s Admiral Grigorovich-Class Frigates
- Year Introduced: 2016
- Number in Service: 3, plus 3 Talwar-class variants for the Indian Navy
- Length: 124.8 meters (409 ft)
- Beam (width): 15.2 meters (50 ft)
- Displacement (full load): 4,035 tons
- Propulsion: Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG); two DS-71 gas turbines (8,450 shp total); two DT-59 gas turbines (22,000 shp total)
- Top speed: 30 knots (34.5 mph – 56 km/h)
- Range: 4,850 nautical miles at 14 knots; 30 days’ endurance
- Armament:
- Cruise missiles: 8-cell UKSK Vertical Launch System (VLS) for Kalibr or Oniks anti-ship/land-attack missiles
- Air defense: 24-cell Shtil-1 VLS for 9M317M medium-range surface-to-air missiles
- Naval gun: One 100 mm A-190 Arsenal gun
- Close-in defense: Two AK-630 CIWS rotary cannons and 8 Igla-S/Verba MANPADS
- Anti-submarine: Two twin 533 mm torpedo tubes and one RBU-6000 rocket launcher
- Aviation: Landing pad and hangar for one Ka-27 or Ka-31 helicopter
- Crew: 200–220
The Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen are two of the Russian Navy’s three Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates, with the lead vessel now in active duty, conducting escort missions between the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas. The Admiral Grigorovich was at sea when the ongoing conflict broke out and was unable to return to the Black Sea.
All three vessels were built at the Yantar Shipyard in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad along the Baltic Sea coast.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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