Russia Navy Admiral Essen Damaged

Struck during the night of 8-9 September 2026 in a combined Ukrainian deep-strike operation against the Novorossiysk naval base. The Ukrainian Navy said a Neptune anti-ship missile hit the frigate, damaging its superstructure and starting a fire; Defense Express published video of the strike. Naval News reported on 11 September that the weapon was the extended-range Long Neptune, in what it described as the missile’s first known use against ships, and that satellite imagery published by the Exilenova+ open-source group showed moderate to severe damage to the frigate’s forward section near both vertical launch cell banks, damage it assessed as likely to deprive the ship of surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile fire. Russia has not commented. It is the fourth time the Kalibr carrier has been hit in 2026, after strikes on 1-2 March and 12 August. Admiral Essen is the second of three Project 11356 frigates serving with the Black Sea Fleet.