KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces struck Russia’s naval base at Novorossiysk overnight on September 8–9, hitting several Black Sea Fleet vessels and port infrastructure, according to Ukrainian military statements and satellite imagery.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) said its Active Operations Department conducted the operation with the Ukrainian Navy, Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), Unmanned Systems Forces and other Defense Forces units. The Project 11356 frigate Admiral Essen was hit, causing a fire on its deck superstructure. The Ukrainian Navy said the vessel was struck by a Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship missile.
Ukraine’s General Staff later reported hits on the Admiral Makarov frigate, Buyan-M small missile ship and Vasily Bykov patrol ship. On September 10, it said further analysis confirmed strikes on the Zheleznyakov small minesweeper, Admiral Essen and the Pyotr Morgunov large landing ship, as well as fuel-oil storage facilities at the port.
Satellite imagery released by Ukrainian OSINT group Exilenova+ showed fires and apparent damage at the naval base. Later imagery indicated that the Admiral Essen and Buyan-M were rendered inoperable, although the full extent of damage has not been independently verified. Exilenova+ assessed that the attack involved drones and at least one Neptune missile.
On the night of 9 September, the Ukrainian Defence Forces carried out a combined missile and drone strike on the port of Novorossiysk.
— Exilenova+ (@Exilenova_plus) September 10, 2026
In particular, port and military infrastructure were hit.
Based on visual confirmation, we have:
🔴 A Buyan-M (Project 21631) was hit - a… pic.twitter.com/Or4r7Bib7J
The Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov are Project 11356 frigates, while Buyan-M is a Project 21631 missile ship. The vessels are equipped with 3S14 vertical launch systems capable of firing Kalibr or Oniks missiles.
Ukraine also reported strikes beyond Novorossiysk. Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert Brovdi said several Russian missile boats were destroyed in the port, while a Su-33 fighter and Mi-8 helicopter were destroyed near Anapa, about 50 kilometers northwest of Novorossiysk. Two air-defense radar systems near Gelendzhik were also reportedly disabled.
Russian officials said debris from intercepted drones hit a church, industrial facilities and residential buildings in Novorossiysk. They reported four deaths, including a child, and about 29–30 injuries, with three injured people reported in critical condition. Fires were also reported at a fuel-oil terminal. Moscow has not provided its own detailed assessment of damage to the named warships.
The strike followed another Ukrainian attack on Novorossiysk in August 2026, when Ukraine reported damaging the Admiral Essen, Admiral Makarov, Buyan-M and Vasily Bykov. Novorossiysk has become a major operating base for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet after repeated Ukrainian attacks on vessels in Sevastopol.
Ukraine’s General Staff said the final assessment of damage from the September 8–9 operation remains ongoing, meaning the precise condition of some of the reported targets has yet to be independently verified.
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