Ukraine finally hit three Russian Kalibr ships on 12 August. On the 19th, an untouched one hit Kyiv
Prior to 12 August, the Russian Black Sea Fleet had eight warships capable of firing Kalibr cruise missiles. It still has at least five.
After months of persistent efforts, Ukrainian forces may have finally struck several Russian Kalibr-armed ships on the Black Sea. The formidable 2,500-km Kalibr missile, a key weapon in Russian bombardments of Ukrainian cities, is a significant target for Ukraine. However, Russia still operates at least five intact Kalibr-capable ships in the Black Sea.
On the night of August 19, an intact Russian corvette launched eight Kalibr missiles at Ukraine. While seven were intercepted, the remaining one hit a facility in Kyiv. Ukrainian commanders had hoped this would be the end of the Kalibr threat, but it was not. Just a week earlier, on August 12, Ukrainian drones and missiles targeted the Black Sea Fleet's main base in Novorossiysk, southern Russia.
Reports suggested significant damage to the port and possibly to the fleet's seven or eight remaining frigates, corvettes, and submarines capable of carrying the 2,500-km Kalibr missiles. Ukrainian officials claimed their forces targeted three Kalibr carriers - frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen, and a Buyan-M corvette, along with a lightly armed guard ship.
Yet, uncertainty remains high, with Ukrainian forces stressing the inflicted damage varied in degree. Visual evidence from commercial satellites on August 20 showed high-resolution images of Novorossiysk, hinting at damage to the two frigates and single corvette, though the extent of the harm remained unclear.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
