Ukrainian drones attack Russian frigate Admiral Essen, OSINT analysts say
Illustrative photo: The frigate Admiral Essen came under the drone attack (Russian media)
As a result of a drone attack on the port of Novorossiysk, the Russian frigate Admiral Essen was damaged. This is not the first attack on the ship, according to the CyberBorosno Telegram channel.
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Strike on the Admiral Essen
OSINT analysts claim that the attack damaged the frigate’s midship structure.
According to them, the impact on the midship structure caused the detonation of PK-10 launchers used to deploy passive jamming measures.
In addition to mechanical damage, the ship’s electronic systems were also affected:
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The TK-25 electronic warfare system, responsible for detecting emissions and deploying active countermeasures;
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MR-90 Orekh radars, which guide surface-to-air missiles to their targets;
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Frigate-M2M surveillance radar, responsible for long-range detection of air and surface objects.
Photo: Satellite image of the aftermath of the strike on the Admiral Essen (t.me/kiber_boroshno)
Attack on the Molniya-class patrol boat
OSINT analysts report that, in addition to the frigate, a Molniya-class (Project 1241) missile boat was also hit.
Drones struck the aft section of the vessel, where the main engines, diesel generators, and engine room are located, all of which power the boat’s propulsion system.
The aft section also houses two AK-630M 30mm gun mounts, responsible for the boat’s close-in defense, and diesel generators that supply electricity to the ship’s systems.
Photo: Satellite image of the aftermath of the strike on the Molniya-class boat (t.me/kiber_boroshno)
Earlier today, March 4, RBC-Ukraine sources in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported a drone strike on the port of Novorossiysk. However, there was no information about an attack on the frigate Admiral Essen.
The previous strike on the Admiral Essen
Ukrainian forces previously struck the Russian frigate Admiral Essen on April 2, 2022, when it was based in Sevastopol. On that occasion, Ukrainian troops reportedly used the new long-range Neptune missile for the first time.
As Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk stated in February, Russian forces use the Admiral Essen to carry out missile strikes against Ukraine, as the vessel is capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles.
