Ukraine hits four Russian warships in coordinated strike on Novorossiysk naval base

Coordinated strike on Novorossiysk

In the night of 11 to 12 August 2026, Ukrainian forces carried out a coordinated strike on the Russian Black Sea Fleet's main base in Novorossiysk, combining missiles, long-range aerial drones, and sea drones for the first time in a single operation. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the results on X on Wednesday evening, stating that at least four Russian warships were hit. According to Zelensky's verified data, the frigates Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov, a large landing ship, a corvette, and other units were struck while sheltering in Novorossiysk Bay. Air defense positions and port infrastructure were also hit. Russia relocated most of its Black Sea Fleet to Novorossiysk from Sevastopol in occupied Crimea in 2022, fearing Ukrainian missile and drone attacks.

Weapons and tactics

Zelensky described the operation as a combined use of Ukrainian-made weapons in long-range strikes. The arsenal included missiles named Palianycia, Pekło, Bars, and Długi Neptun, alongside aerial drones designated MICH, Fire Point, Ramzaj, Siczeń, Trast, Chariok, Bóbr, Luty, and Dowbusz, and unmanned surface vessels Sarhan and Mamaj. Russia's defense ministry claimed it shot down over 500 Ukrainian drones overnight. Zelensky said the operation was a success and thanked soldiers for their precision and weapons designers for significantly increasing Ukraine's capabilities.

We will compel Russia toward peace also through the continued use of our long-range and medium-range strike assets. Today, together with the defense minister, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, and representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine, we defined priorities for the near future.

Civilian casualties and damage

Russian authorities reported casualties from the attack, though figures varied across the day. Krasnodar Krai governor Veniamin Kondratiev stated that three people were killed and 24 wounded, two of them hospitalized in serious condition, in afternoon reports. Later in the evening, Krasnodar Krai authorities reported two dead, including a child, and a dozen wounded. De Volkskrant, citing local authorities, reported that drone debris killed a man and an 8-year-old child. Mayor Andrei Kravchenko announced a state of emergency, halted water supplies to the city, and reported damage to four enterprises, 21 residential buildings, and several educational facilities.

Grain terminals knocked offline

Two of Russia's largest grain export terminals in Novorossiysk were damaged and ceased operations. According to Reuters sources, one terminal, owned by Demetra Holding, has an export capacity of 8.5 million tons per year; a company spokesperson confirmed "unspecified damage" and declined further comment. The second terminal, the Novorossiysk Grain Processing Plant, majority-owned by OZK, has a capacity of 7.1 million tons per year and was also damaged and stopped. The Russian Union of Grain Exporters and Producers warned that the shortfall in Russian wheat supplies this season could reach 30 to 35 million tons, approximately 15% of total global wheat trade, and that this deficit could not be covered by increased exports from alternative countries.

Oil tanker attacks suspended at US request

The Financial Times reported on 12 August that Ukraine halted drone attacks on oil tankers serving the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in Novorossiysk at the request of US Vice President J.D. Vance. The request came in late July over concerns that attacks on oil tankers were destabilizing the oil market and threatening Kazakh oil exports, which flow largely through Novorossiysk. Chevron and ExxonMobil hold stakes in Kazakh oil fields. Ukraine agreed to spare the CPC export terminal and non-Russian tankers, while ships carrying Russian oil or listed on Ukraine's sanctions list remain legitimate targets. The attacks on other maritime targets in Novorossiysk continued unabated.