Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, announced today that unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) on the night of 5/4 struck the missile frigate Admiral Grigorovich at Novorossiysk port, in southwestern Russia. Ukraine’s military released drone video showing the vehicle approaching a docked warship before crashing into its hull. The video did not show the strike's outcome, but drones carrying small warheads typically cannot inflict heavy damage on large warships.
Brovdi added that Ukraine’s military also used drones to attack the Sheskharis oil depot near Novorossiysk and the Sivash oil rig in the Black Sea, near the Crimea peninsula.
Russia’s defense ministry has not commented on the reports.
The missile frigate Admiral Grigorovich is the first of 6 ships in Project 11356M, a modern frigate class in the Russian Navy. It is designed for anti-ship, anti-submarine, and fleet air defense missions, capable of operating independently or as part of mixed naval groups.
The ship is 124 m long, 15 m wide, and has a full displacement of 4,035 tons. Its main armaments include 8 Kalibr cruise missiles with a range of 1,500 to 2,500 km, and 24 medium-range anti-aircraft missiles from the 3S90M Shtil-1 system.
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Location of Novorossiysk port, Russia. *Graphic: BBC* |
By Nhu Tam (According to AFP, Reuters)
