The Defense Forces of Ukraine conducted a successful combined operation, launching a large-scale strike on the Russian Navy base and oil infrastructure in Novorossiysk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported the results of the attack, noting that the operation marked the first coordinated deployment of a broad array of domestic weaponry: «Palianytsia», «Peklo», «Bars», and «Dovhyi Neptune» missiles, MICH, Fire Point, «Ramzai», «Sichen», «Trast», «Khariok», «Bober», «Liutyi», and «Dovbush» drones, as well as «Sarhan» and «Mamai» USVs.
As a result of the high-precision strike, several key combat units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet sustained significant damage. Among them were the Project 11356R frigate «Admiral Makarov» (a carrier of «Kalibr» cruise missiles), which took a hit in the area of its 8-cell vertical launch system alongside destruction to its aft superstructure containing radar complexes, and the sister frigate «Admiral Essen», which suffered structural damage around its missile silos.
Additionally, the strikes hit a Project 266M minesweeper, the Project 20360 OS trial ship «Viktor Cherokov», an unidentified Project 22160 «Vasily Bykov»-class patrol ship, and the Project 864 medium reconnaissance ship «Priazovye», which sustained probable damage to its stern section. Damage to an unidentified civilian cargo vessel was also recorded in the mooring area, while an Aframax-class oil tanker was hit during the strike on the local oil terminal, showing signs of burning, fire foam, and an oil spill in the water.
The consequences of the attack are supported by open-source data: satellite imagery from the NASA FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System) as of August 13 detected fires in Novorossiysk, specifically at the Russian Black Sea Fleet naval base, the Fuel Oil Terminal, and the “Sheskharis” oil terminal complex.
Damage to the Russian warships and infrastructure facilities in Novorossiysk was confirmed by satellite imagery analysis from the monitoring community Exilenova+.
