What is the Admiral Makarov? Ukrainian forces reportedly hit SECOND Russian warship after Moskva
Russian warship Admiral Makarov has reportedly been hit by Ukrainian missiles and burst into flames, Ukrainian officials have claimed.
In Russia's latest naval loss -- after reports that US intelligence helped Ukraine seek and destroy the Russian warship Moskva weeks ago -- the Admiral Makarov frigate was said to have been sailing close to Snake Island in the Black Sea, south of Odesa. Citing Russian sources, Ukrainian presidential adviser Anton Gerashchenko reported on his Telegram page that the vessel was hit by a Ukrainian “Neptune” anti-ship missile, and that Russian navy ships harbored in Crimea were dispatched to help Makarov. Meanwhile, Russian forces also sent helicopters to rescue the crew of the ship, said to be about 180, according to Ukrainian news outlet Dumskaya.
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What is the Admiral Makarov?
According to the World Directory of Modern Warships, the Admiral Makarov is a full-fledged frigate loaded with guided missiles. Losing the vessel would reduce Russia's frigate fleet to 10. Commissioned in 2017, Admiral Makarov is the third and most modern vessel in her class. There are three Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates and they belong to the Black Sea Fleet. The warship is armed with 24 Buk medium-range surface-to-air missiles and eight Kalibr cruise missiles, all in vertical cells, and they can escort other vessels while also attacking targets on land.
It’s seeming more and more likely that the Claims about the Russian Frigate Admiral Makarov being stuck by Ukrainian Anti-Ship Missiles off the Coast of Odessa is True, multiple Rescue Ships and Aircraft are reportedly in the Area with U.S Surveillance Drones keeping eyes on it. pic.twitter.com/JTuAKr1VEd
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 6, 2022
According to Forbes, Admiral Makarov and her sister ships are not giants. Considering they displace just 4,000 tons of water and accommodate 200 crew, they are less than half the size of the US Navy's main surface combatants, namely the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
That said, the Russian Ministry of Defense is yet to comment on the latest reports at the time of publication. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has also denied receiving any information about a reported Ukrainian strike on a Russian frigate in the Black Sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the press "we do not have such information" about the reported strike, RIA Novosti reported.
There are indications Ukrainian defenders hit the Russian fascist warship "Admiral Makarov" with a Neptune missile. A ship is on fire near Snake Island in the Black Sea. Rescue aircraft and boats are on the way from occupied Crimea. The U.S. is observing with a Global Hawk UAV. pic.twitter.com/C2YO5l8QXR
— Michael MacKay (@mhmck) May 6, 2022
This comes after Russia lost its Black Sea monster warship Moskva last month in a Ukrainian cruise missile attack. A US official claimed on Thursday that Washington helped Ukraine locate the vessel. According to Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD), there were around 20 Russian Navy vessels in the Black Sea after the Moskva sank. Despite being unable to replace Moskva due to a closure at the Bosporus Strait, the Black Sea fleet was still capable of striking Ukrainian targets, per the British MoD.
It's unclear what ramifications Russian operations in the Black Sea would face following the sinking of Admiral Makarov. Russian President Vladimir Putin has blockaded Ukrainian ports on the sea's coast to stop exports during the war. Ukraine has been forced to export grain via train routes over its western border or from its small Danube river ports since Moscow launched the so-called "special military operation" in late February. According to the UN, nearly 25 million tonnes of grain were stuck in the war-torn nation, causing global food prices to touch record highs last month, Independent reported.