The frigate Admiral Essen was reportedly hit once again during the early morning attack on Novorossiysk in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai on April 6.
As the OSINT community CyberBoroshno reported via Telegram on Tuesday, April 7, based on an analysis of available imagery:
“The identification is confirmed by two indicators: the characteristic white color of the radars, unique to the Essen compared to other Project 11356P frigates, and the fact that the Admiral Makarov remained in the same position after the attack as it had been following the previous one.”
The Ukrainian OSINT Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that satellite images show multiple sections of the Sheskharis oil terminal were damaged during Monday’s attack: oil pipelines near berths No. 1 and No. 2, as well as berth No. 2 itself, were affected.
“In addition, a strike on an oil pipeline was recorded in another loading zone located near the SICN nodes and the shut-off valves of the pipeline system,” the report reads.
The images also indicate damage to one of the Project 11356P frigates at the Novorossiysk naval base, though Exilenova+ did not specify the vessel’s name.
In a later update on Tuesday morning, Exilenova+ reported that the frigate had been hit at least twice, as confirmed by satellite and video analysis.
The first strike hit the area near the UKSK 3S14 vertical launchers for Kalibr missiles at the berth. The exact extent of the damage is unclear, but was likely limited to the blast wave’s impact without critical structural harm.
The second strike targeted the anchor and mooring section of the bow – a technically secondary area – likely leaving the ship’s combat capability largely intact.
“At the time of the strikes, personnel were on board. Crew members may have been injured by fragments or the blast wave,” the report added.
The Admiral Essen is the second frigate of Project 11356R, serving with Russia’s Black Sea Fleet as part of the 30th Division of Surface Ships. The vessel was laid down on July 8, 2011, at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad and launched on Nov. 7, 2014.
Between May and June 2017, the frigate took part in missile strikes on Syria, targeting the provinces of Palmyra and Hama. It has also previously been used to launch missile strikes against civilian areas in Ukraine, including Odesa.
The frigate has a crew of roughly 180 personnel and can accommodate up to 20 marines. Its armament includes a 100 mm A-190 artillery mount, anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems, torpedoes and anti-submarine weapons, and high-precision Kalibr cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed on April 6 that the Sheskharis oil terminal in Novorossiysk was hit.
“Target hits and a large-scale fire were recorded on the territory of the terminal. The extent of the damage is being clarified,” the report reads.
However, the report did not mention details on any potential damage to the ships. As of publishing time on April 7, the General Staff had not provided commentary on possible damage to the Admiral Essen during the attack on Novorossiysk.
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) Commander Robert Brovdy said on April 6 that Ukrainian fighters struck the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov, also a carrier of Kalibr cruise missiles, in the port of Novorossiysk.
According to Brovdy, the frigate launched air-defense missiles during the attack, but they failed to intercept the drones. He added that the operation was carried out by USF units in coordination with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
Initial reports mistakenly identified the vessel as the Admiral Grigorovich, but this was later corrected to the Admiral Makarov.
CyberBoroshno had earlier noted that the Admiral Grigorovich was unlikely to be in Novorossiysk, as it is believed to be operating in the Mediterranean.
The group on Monday assessed that either the Admiral Makarov or the Admiral Essen – both Project 11356 frigates – were the most likely targeted.
The strike came as part of a large-scale overnight Ukrainian drone attack overnight Sunday to Monday targeting Russia’s largest crude-loading terminal on the Black Sea.
The primary objective was the Sheskharis oil terminal, a key export hub handling Ural, Siberian Light, and Kazakh crude. Before the war, the port accounted for roughly 25–35% of Russia’s crude exports (around 3–3.2 million tons per month), and it is still estimated to handle about 20%.
This latest attack, reportedly involving more than 50 drones, appears to be Ukraine’s most ambitious and damaging strike on Novorossiysk’s oil infrastructure to date. Previous confirmed attacks on the port took place on Nov. 14 and 29, Feb. 7, and March 1, according to Kyiv Post records.
During the March 1 strike, local Telegram channels reported dozens of powerful explosions and a major fire at the oil terminal, with some claims suggesting the use of unmanned surface vessels approaching from the sea.
The following day, Kyiv Post – citing SBU sources – reported that drones operated by the Alpha Special Operations Center, together with other Defense Forces units, had targeted both military and oil infrastructure. The source said warships were hit but did not specify which ones or the extent of the damage.
Unverified reports on Russian Telegram channels later claimed that several warships were damaged. The “Spy Dossier” channel alleged that five ships, including the minesweeper Valentin Pikul, and possibly the Yeysk and Kasimov, were affected.
Separate claims that an Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate had been destroyed were dismissed by Exilenova+, which instead identified the Admiral Makarov and the Admiral Essen in the port based on satellite imagery.
A source within the SBU later told Kyiv Post that the frigate Admiral Essen was hit during a drone attack in the early hours of March 2.
According to the source, the strike hit the ship’s central superstructure, triggering explosions in onboard countermeasure systems and damaging key electronic warfare equipment.
The source added that target illumination radars and the main surveillance radar were likely hit, while the operation successfully breached Russia’s layered air defenses around Novorossiysk Bay.
A fire on deck reportedly lasted about 18 hours, indicating significant internal damage.
“The ship sustained critical damage, significantly limiting its ability to use Kalibr cruise missiles. The frigate cannot currently attack Ukrainian territory,” the source said.
Earlier reports indicated that the Admiral Essen had already suffered significant damage on April 3, 2022, when it was struck by Ukraine’s Naval Forces using the Neptune coastal missile system.