Satellite Images Show Russian Kalibr Ships Hit in Novorossiysk, Undermining Black Sea Fleet
New satellite imagery and Ukrainian military claims point to heavy damage on a Russian Buyan‑M corvette and the frigate Admiral Essen in Novorossiysk, along with harm to port infrastructure and other warships. The strikes weaken key Kalibr missile carriers and call into question how safe Russia’s main remaining Black Sea base really is.
Ukraine’s latest long‑range attacks on Russia’s Black Sea facilities have left several warships damaged in port and exposed vulnerabilities at Novorossiysk, the fleet’s key fallback base.
New satellite imagery from Exilenova+ shows damage to port infrastructure in the city following recent Ukrainian strikes. The same imagery reveals a Russian Buyan‑M corvette of the Black Sea Fleet at Novorossiysk Naval Base in Krasnodar Krai that suffered heavy damage from what analysts say was a Ukrainian drone strike. The ship is now described as non‑operational, though it will most likely be repaired.
Ukraine’s General Staff said on 10 September that further analysis of attacks conducted on 9 September and overnight into 10 September confirmed hits on at least three Russian warships: the small sea minesweeper Zheleznyakov, the frigate Admiral Essen — a Project 11356 vessel capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles — and the large landing ship Petr Morgunov (Project 11711). The General Staff did not specify the extent of the damage.
Separate Exilenova+ satellite assessments indicate that Admiral Essen was struck in Novorossiysk by a Ukrainian Neptune anti‑ship missile. They also show additional damage to Admiral Makarov, another Admiral Grigorovich‑class frigate and cruise missile carrier, which had already been hit at the same port earlier.
The Buyan‑M class ship identified in the imagery is a third‑rank multipurpose warship designed to carry Kalibr and Oniks cruise missiles. According to Ukrainian reports, it had been actively used to launch Kalibr strikes. One Ukrainian account judged that the Buyan‑M can effectively be written off, while also acknowledging that Russian yards are likely to attempt repairs if the hull remains salvageable.
Other visuals underline the scale of the strike package. Satellite and local photography highlight damage to the Project 21631 Buyan‑M missile boat at its moorings, as well as to the frigates Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov. One image from the port area shows an older torpedo hole on a “Warszawianka”‑class submarine that has been kept alongside the pier since that earlier incident, now seen near the latest damage.
For Ukraine, each crippled Kalibr carrier reduces Russia’s ability to launch large salvos against cities and infrastructure. Kalibr missiles have been used repeatedly against Ukrainian targets. Taking even a few launch platforms out of regular service narrows the range of options available to Russian planners, even though Moscow still has air‑ and ground‑launched systems.
The strikes at Novorossiysk also feed into a broader Ukrainian campaign against Russian military sites across a wide geographic arc. Ukraine’s General Staff has reported hits on Russian command posts and radar stations in Bryansk region, including a Nebo‑SV radar and a ground relay station in Trubchevsk, alongside attacks on naval assets from the Arctic to the Caspian.
Novorossiysk was meant to provide the Black Sea Fleet with a safer harbor after Ukrainian strikes made Sevastopol in occupied Crimea increasingly hazardous. Damage there to multiple warships and port facilities shows that the base itself is now within reach of Ukrainian drones and missiles.
Key indicators to watch are whether Russia shifts remaining high‑value ships away from Novorossiysk, how quickly repairs proceed on Admiral Essen, Admiral Makarov and the damaged Buyan‑M, and whether Ukraine attempts further strikes on the port. Any change in Russian missile attack patterns on Ukrainian cities could also reflect the temporary or long‑term loss of these cruise missile carriers.
Sources
- OSINT