Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) carried out a strike on the Russian missile frigate Admiral Makarov in the port of Novorossiysk early on Monday, April 6, according to USF Commander Robert Brovdy. The vessel, which is equipped to launch Kalibr cruise missiles, is part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet that has largely relocated to the port.
Brovdy stated on Telegram that Ukrainian drones successfully hit the frigate and also struck the Syvash offshore drilling platform. He noted that although the ship attempted to defend itself by firing air-defense missiles, these efforts did not prevent the drones from reaching their target. The full extent of the damage remains unclear. He added that the operation was conducted by the USF in coordination with Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), while the strike on the Syvash platform involved joint efforts between USF units and naval forces.
Initial statements from Brovdy incorrectly named the targeted ship as the Admiral Grigorovich, but this was later revised to the Admiral Makarov. Earlier, the open-source intelligence group CyberBoroshno had suggested that the Admiral Grigorovich was unlikely to be in Novorossiysk, as it was believed to be deployed in the Mediterranean. The group assessed that either the Admiral Makarov or Admiral Essen—both frigates of the same class—were more probable targets.
Footage released after the incident, lasting over two minutes, appears to capture the moment the frigate was struck, along with visible damage to the Syvash platform. However, the timing and location of the video have not been independently confirmed.
The primary objective of the operation in Novorossiysk was reportedly the Sheskharis oil terminal, a major hub for exporting Russian crude, including Urals, Siberian Light, and Kazakh blends. Before the war, the port handled roughly a quarter to a third of Russia’s total crude exports—around 3 to 3.2 million tons monthly—and it is still estimated to account for about one-fifth of exports during the conflict.
This latest assault, said to involve more than 50 drones, appears to be Ukraine’s largest and most damaging attack on the port’s oil infrastructure so far.
Previous confirmed strikes on Novorossiysk took place on November 14 and 29, as well as February 7 and March 1. During the March 1 attack, local Telegram channels reported numerous explosions and a significant fire at the oil terminal, with some claims suggesting that sea-based drones were also involved.
The following day, Ukrainian sources indicated that drones operated by the SBU’s Alpha Special Operations Center, alongside other defense units, had targeted both military and energy infrastructure at the port. While officials stated that warships were hit, they did not specify which ones or the scale of the damage. Unconfirmed reports from Russian Telegram channels later claimed that multiple vessels were damaged, including the minesweeper Valentin Pikul and possibly the Yeysk and Kasimov, with some alleging that as many as 200 drones were used.
There were also unverified claims that a frigate of the Admiral Grigorovich class had been destroyed. However, Ukrainian OSINT group Exilenova+ rejected this, pointing out that the Admiral Grigorovich had not been observed in Novorossiysk for some time. Instead, satellite imagery indicated the presence of the Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen at the port.
On March 3, Ukraine’s General Staff announced that a Russian vessel had been destroyed but did not provide further specifics. Several media reports later linked that statement to the Novorossiysk attack.
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