[Discussion] Ukraine Claims Drones Struck Admiral Makarov in Novorossiysk and Syvash Platform

[Uncrowned Guard]

Overnight strikes reported in Black Sea theater

Ukrainian forces said they targeted a Russian warship and an offshore drilling platform in separate overnight attacks in the Black Sea on April 6. The claims were made by Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, who said long-range drones struck the frigate Admiral Makarov in the port of Novorossiysk and hit the Syvash offshore drilling platform west of occupied Crimea.

Battle damage assessment was still underway as of April 6, and the reported results could not be independently verified. Video published by Brovdi showed a large vessel in a drone’s sight picture, but the footage ended before impact.

Novorossiysk port and Sheskharis terminal

According to the Ukrainian account, the frigate was attacked during a broader strike on Novorossiysk that also set the Sheskharis oil terminal on fire again. Russian regional officials publicly described the port incident in more limited terms, attributing damage to drone debris, but Ukrainian statements presented the operation as a direct strike on military and energy-related targets.

In a Telegram post, Brovdi initially referred to the target as the frigate Admiral Grigorovich before issuing an update stating the ship in question was Admiral Makarov. He added that air-defense missiles were launched from the frigate during the approach, but said the strike still reached the target area. The extent of any damage remains unconfirmed.

Significance of Admiral Makarov

The Admiral Makarov is a Project 11356R frigate and a carrier of Kalibr long-range cruise missiles, which Russia has repeatedly used in strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. The ship became the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship after the missile cruiser Moskva was sunk by Ukraine in spring 2022.

The frigate has previously been the focus of Ukrainian operations. It was targeted during the October 2022 air and sea drone attack on occupied Sevastopol, one of the earliest large-scale attacks of its kind involving coordinated maritime and aerial unmanned systems. Assessments at the time indicated little or no lasting damage. Ukraine also reported strikes on Admiral Makarov and the frigate Admiral Essen on March 6, though final damage assessments in that case also remained inconclusive.

Separate strike on Syvash platform

Brovdi said a separate operation struck the Syvash offshore drilling platform, identifying the attacking unit as the 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment, known as “Raid.” He said the mission was carried out together with Ukrainian naval deep-strike forces.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted offshore infrastructure and naval assets in the Black Sea as part of a broader effort to pressure Russian logistics, surveillance, and strike capabilities around occupied Crimea and the eastern Black Sea coast.

Relocation of Black Sea Fleet assets

Following repeated Ukrainian sea drone attacks throughout 2023, Russia relocated a substantial share of its Black Sea Fleet from occupied Sevastopol to Novorossiysk. The move was widely viewed as an effort to reduce the vulnerability of key vessels to attacks by Ukrainian missiles and unmanned surface and aerial systems.

If confirmed, a successful strike on Admiral Makarov in Novorossiysk would indicate that Ukrainian forces can continue to threaten high-value naval targets even after that redeployment. For now, however, the military significance of the April 6 attack depends on pending damage assessments.

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