Ukraine hit 4 Russian ships, killed 3 sailors in March 2 attack on Black Sea port in Krasnodar Krai, SBU source says
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest information from a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), provided to the Kyiv Independent on March 5.
Ukrainian forces struck Russia's port of Novorossiysk on March 2, damaging four Russian ships, including the frigate Admiral Essen, which carries Kalibr cruise missiles, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
Damage to the Admiral Essen became known after Ukraine confirmed on March 4 that three other ships — the Russian minesweeper Valentin Pikul and the anti-submarine vessels Yeysk and Kasimov — had also been hit in the attack.
The attack on the Black Sea port in southern Russia, which also killed three Russian sailors and injured 14 others, was carried out by the SBU in coordination with Ukraine's Defense Forces, according to the source.
The frigate Admiral Essen, which typically carries eight Kalibr cruise missiles used by Russia to strike Ukraine, was hit in its midsection, damaging the TK-25 electronic warfare system, ZR-90 target illumination radars, and grenade launchers used to deploy thermal traps and radio signal scatterers.
The attack also likely damaged the Fregat-M2M surveillance radar, responsible for the long-range detection of air and surface targets, the source said.
"The ship sustained critical damage, significantly limiting its ability to deploy Kalibr cruise missiles. At present, the frigate cannot strike targets in Ukraine," the source told the Kyiv Independent.
During the operation, SBU units penetrated the multi-layered Russian air defense system surrounding Novorossiysk Bay and its port. The strike sparked a fire on the deck that burned for roughly 18 hours, according to the source.
The same strike also damaged six of the seven oil-loading berths at the major Sheskharis oil terminal, port infrastructure, a 30N6E2 guidance radar from an S-300PMU-2 Favorit system, and a Pantsir-S2 air defense missile system, the SBU source said on March 4.
"There are no 'protected areas' for Russian military facilities. As long as Russia wages war against Ukraine, it will have no peace anywhere — neither at sea, nor on land, nor in the rear," the source said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims at the time of publication.
Ukraine regularly strikes military infrastructure deep within Russia and occupied territories in an effort to diminish Moscow's fighting power as the Kremlin wages its war against Ukraine.
Novorossiysk has become a central base for the Russian Black Sea Fleet after repeated Ukrainian strikes on occupied Crimea, increasing its importance as both a military and logistical hub.
Following the late November attack on the Russian oil terminal, the facility was forced to suspend oil shipments. The strike seriously damaged the mooring point two (SMP-2), prompting port authorities to halt all loading operations and order tankers out of the water area.
Ukrainian drones also struck the Novorossiysk oil terminal on Nov. 14, 2025, sparking a large fire, the SBU told the Kyiv Independent.
Kyiv considers oil facilities and vessels to be valid military targets as they directly fund Russia's war.
