Naval Expert from Defence Express Comments on the Impact of Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Kalibr Missile Carriers

In a detailed interview, Vladimir Zablotsky, a naval expert with Defence Express, elaborated on the ramifications of Ukrainian strikes against Russian Kalibr missile carriers, particularly focusing on the frigates of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. He pointed out that since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the ships Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov have been actively involved in shelling Ukrainian territories, with each vessel carrying eight Kalibr missiles on board.

Zablotsky reminded listeners that Admiral Makarov sustained damage on October 29, 2022, when a naval drone executed the world's first remote air-sea attack on this frigate in Sevastopol. The drone collided with the ship's starboard side, causing a breach; however, unfortunately, the explosive charge was not powerful enough to destroy the vessel. Following this incident, Admiral Makarov underwent repairs and returned to service, but according to the expert, it has since suffered serious damage again.

“According to the data currently displayed on my monitor, I see two hits. One of them occurred on the starboard side, near the vertical launch system for the Kalibrs. The other hit occurred slightly further, at the bow, near the mooring post. This has undoubtedly led to damage, although the quality of the photographs does not allow for a detailed examination of what exactly happened. But in this condition, the ship cannot go to sea,” Zablotsky stated.

The expert also noted that in March of this year, Admiral Essen was struck in the mast and antenna posts by an unidentified type of aerial drone. For the attack on Admiral Makarov, foreign sources suggest that the Ukrainian side likely used an FPV (First Person View) drone. Zablotsky emphasized that if Kalibrs had been on board, they would probably have detonated, but it is likely that the launch system was not loaded, which explains the lack of fatal consequences.

In the expert's opinion, Admiral Essen has now become “blind,” while Admiral Makarov has been left without Kalibrs due to a direct hit on the launch system. “To combine the two and send them to sea, so that Makarov pulls the cart behind him, while that cart, i.e., Admiral Essen, fires Kalibrs — that will not happen, as it is incredibly unlikely under modern conditions. They will not risk two frigates at once because in open water, blind and deaf, both will turn into targets,” Zablotsky added.

On April 6, the commander of the Drone Forces, Robert (Madyar) Brovdi, reported that during the night of April 6, the Drone Forces struck the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov, which is a carrier of Kalibr missiles. According to Defence Express, Admiral Makarov, belonging to the Project 11356R Burevestnik, was the last surviving missile frigate of Russia with Kalibrs in the Black Sea. On March 2, the Defense Forces critically struck another frigate of this project — Admiral Essen. Another ship, Admiral Grigorovich, has not been in the Black Sea since 2021, as analysts reported.

The operation to strike the frigate was carried out by the 1st Separate Center of the SBS in conjunction with the Security Service of Ukraine. The extent of damage to the frigate is currently being clarified by intelligence, Madyar added. On April 7, the monitoring Telegram channel Exilenova+, referencing satellite images and videos, reported that Admiral Makarov had been hit at least twice. The first hit was recorded near the pier, close to the vertical launch systems UKSK 3S14 (Kalibr missiles), and likely did not cause critical damage. “The second hit struck the anchoring and mooring part of the bow — a technically secondary area, so it is unlikely to have a serious impact on the combat capability of the ship,” the description accompanying the satellite photo stated.