Naval Expert Discusses State of Russian Kalibr Carriers Capable of Attacking Ukraine

Volodymyr Zablotsky, a naval expert representing Defence Express, recently provided insights into the current state of Russian Kalibr missile carriers in an interview with Radio NV. He highlighted the alarming condition of the Russian naval fleet, especially its frigates, which are crucial for potential strikes against Ukraine.

Zablotsky pointed out that two Russian frigates, Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov, which were damaged during combat operations in March and April, are currently incapacitated for attacks against Ukraine. He stated, 'If we consider just these two frigates — Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov — the first one is blind, and the second one is without Kalibrs due to damage to its launch system, which was directly hit on Makarov last time. It would be impossible to operate them together in the sea, as one would have to tow the other, and that is just not feasible under modern conditions. They will not risk two frigates at once because, in open waters, the blind and deaf would both become targets,' the expert emphasized.

Furthermore, Zablotsky reported that the Russian fleet has only one operational submarine left, while another, Kolpino, was damaged due to an underwater drone explosion and is currently unfit for combat. 'Additionally, there are two small missile ships that also have the same launch systems as the frigate, each capable of carrying eight missiles. This is the entirety of the fleet that is currently engaged against us,' Zablotsky added, underscoring the limited resources of the Russian navy.

It is worth noting that on April 6, the commander of the UAV Forces, Robert (Madyar) Brovdi, reported the damage to the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov, which is a carrier of Kalibr missiles. According to Defence Express, Admiral Makarov, a Project 11356R Buryevestnik frigate, was the last surviving missile frigate of Russia with Kalibrs in the Black Sea. On March 2, defense forces critically struck another frigate of the same project, Admiral Essen. Another ship of this type, Admiral Grigorovich, has not been in the Black Sea since 2021, analysts reported.

The operation to strike the frigate was carried out by the 1st Separate Center of Special Operations together with the Security Service of Ukraine. The extent of the damage to the frigate is currently being clarified by intelligence, Madyar added. On April 7, the monitoring Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported, citing satellite images and videos, that Admiral Makarov had been hit at least twice. The first strike 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 ship's combat capability,' the description accompanying the satellite photo stated. Thus, the situation with the Russian fleet in the Black Sea remains tense, and the capacity to launch strikes against Ukraine is significantly limited.