The author of the publication noted that the Russian fleet remains the dominant force in the Black Sea “only on paper,” because Ukraine’s latest attacks on Russian ships indicate a real threat to the occupying ships. The main Russian base in Novorossiysk, previously considered a “safe harbor”, is under fire, and now the Russians are faced with the question of where to move the ships to protect them from attacks.
The expert recalled the Ukrainian attack on a Russian naval frigate stationed in the port of Novorossiysk. After the destruction of the cruiser Moskva by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Black Sea on April 13, 2022, the frigate Admiral Essen, which was probably hit by the drones, is one of the largest warships of the Russian fleet and its strategic asset.
As a result of successful Ukrainian strikes, Russian vessels were actually “caged” in Novorossiysk, where they are really threatened by Ukrainian surface, underwater and aerial drones, Sutton writes. Ships rarely leave port, and submarines often dock at berths to reduce their visibility to drones.
“The increasing accuracy and confidence of Ukrainian drones makes it only a matter of time before more serious damage is done. Russia's problem is that there is no other port in the Black Sea to fall back to. The port at Sochi or the port at Ochamchira, located across the border in Georgia, are small and have limited capabilities.” And the retreat through the Volga-Don Canal to the Caspian Sea may be irreversible,” the expert stated, adding that “in a war where Russia is fighting a country “without a fleet,” every lost ship is a humiliation” for the aggressor.
Context
“Admiral Essen” is one of the frigates of Project 11356R “Admiral Grigorovich”. Naval News calls them the most combat-ready ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet after the Ukrainian defense forces destroyed the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser Moskva. Each of the frigates can carry up to eight Kalibr-type cruise missiles, which the invaders use to fire at the territory of Ukraine. The ship was previously damaged in an attack in October 2022.
On March 2, 2026, the Security Service of Ukraine, together with other units of the defense forces, again attacked the frigate “Admiral Essen” in Novorossiysk. The ship received damage in the superstructure area, which affected a number of important combat systems and significantly limited its ability to use Caliber cruise missiles.
