Ukraine Says Strikes Hit Russian Warships and Caspian Port

Ukrainian forces carried out a series of long-range strikes this week against Russian military and logistics targets, hitting the Novorossiysk naval base on the Black Sea and the Makhachkala port on the Caspian Sea, according to Ukrainian military statements. Ukraine's military intelligence agency, known as HUR, said its operators struck the Novorossiysk naval base overnight on September 8-9, hitting the Project 11356 frigate Admiral Essen and causing a fire on its deck superstructure. The frigate is capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles, which Russia has repeatedly used to strike targets across Ukraine. The operation was carried out jointly with other Ukrainian Defense Forces units, HUR said. On September 10, Ukraine's General Staff said further analysis confirmed damage to three Russian warships at Novorossiysk on September 9: the small minesweeper Zheleznyakov, the frigate Admiral Essen, and the Project 11711 landing ship Pyotr Morgunov, along with fuel-oil storage facilities at the port.