Krivak IV Project 1135.6 Dozorny / Admiral Grigorovich

The US has no information to corroborate Ukraine striking the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov. "We've been looking at this all day," said Pentagon spokes John Kirby. The Russian navy vessel hit at Snake Island by Ukraine? TB2 appears to be a Serna class (Project 11770) small landing craft. Multiple rescue ships and aircraft were reportedly in the area with US Air Force RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance drone keeping eyes on it. Unverified, but reasonably convincing video of a frigate on fire was circulating following reports of RFS Admiral Makarov being struck by Ukrainian anti ship missiles.

A Russian frigate was reportedly burning off the coast of the Odesa region following a Ukrainian attack, a Ukrainian YouTube channel claimed 06 May 2022. The Project 11356P Burevestnik warship, known by the NATO reporting name Krivak, was hit by a Ukrainian Neptune misile near the Zmiinyi Island (Snake Island), the Odesa & Transport channel claimed. It said Russian warplanes were circling above the ship, and that Russian vessels from occupied Crimea are moving towards it to rescue the crew. The 409ft Admiral Makarov (hull number 799) was struck by the same Neptune missiles that sunk the Russian missile cruiser Moskva in the Black Sea last month.

Putin's Black Sea Fleet was already down to just three major warships after the sinking of Moskva on April 14. The new missile-frigate Admiral Makarov is thought to be a valuable target for Ukrainian missile crews as one of the most modern vessels in the Russian Navy. Anton Gerashchenko, a Ukrainian government advisor and former minister, said on Twitter: "Russian ship is on fire. It seems to be one of the newer Russian ones, Admiral Makarov."

Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko claimed the warship was burning - but had not sunk. He said on Telegram: "The frigate Admiral Makarov, the Russian Navy’s patrol frigate, is on fire. "Yes, yes, you got that right! The God of the Seas is taking revenge on Ukraine’s abusers."

The frigates of the project 11356, whose construction was suspended due to the disruption of supplies of Ukrainian power plants, will be able to replace the corvettes of the project 20386, said Vladimir Tryapichnikov, head of the department of shipbuilding, armament and operation, in an interview with the Flotprom portal 03 June 2019.

The Ministry of Defense and the Kaliningrad Plant Yantar signed two contracts for six patrol ships of the project 11356. But with the construction of the second three, difficulties arose: the power plants for the ships were supplied by the Ukrainian enterprise Zorya-Mashproekt. Due to strained relations between the countries, Kiev froze military-technical cooperation with Moscow. The shipyard at that time managed to get the engines for only three frigates. The lead ship of the project is the Mercury. According to Igor Ponomarev, the general director of Severnaya Verf, the Mercury will be transferred to the Navy at the turn of 2021/22. In total, until 2025, the fleet expects to receive three project 20386 corvettes.

Project 20386 corvettes are designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau.They are intended for operations in the near-sea zone and conducting combat with surface ships and submarines of the enemy, as well as for artillery support of the naval assault forces during amphibious landing operations. Ships of this project are designed to conduct in ocean and sea areas of combat operations against surface ships and submarines, as well as reflection attacks of air attack, both independently and as part of the ships connections. Project 11356 frigates have a displacement of 4,000 tons, speed -. 30 knots, cruising - 30 days. The ships are armed particularly with missile complex "Caliber-NK", and artillery unit A-190 100 mm caliber, and are equipped with torpedoes, anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weapons. On board was placed Ka-31.

Project 11356 was the extensive modernization of the Soviet-era Burevestnik (Storm Petrel) project, which included 28 combat ships built since 1968 (projects 1135 and 1135M). This was why the construction of each of the project 11356 frigates took as much as five years, from roll out to entering service.

Two of the 28 frigates built during the Soviet period are still in service with the Black Sea Fleet by teh end of 2017. The Burevestnik-class ships gained a reputation for their outstanding seagoing capabilities and reliability. Back in the day, they played a key tactical role in the Soviet navy.

Patrol Project 11356 was designed for warfare in the ocean and the sea on their own and as part of the naval forces. They are capable of destroying enemy submarines, to carry out anti, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine defense warships and vessels to support ground combat, provide amphibious landing.

The new frigates will be capable of acting both as anti-submarine vessels and combat ships. They were to have a displacement of about 4,000 tons, as compared with the Navy destroyers' 9,500 tons.

The Project 11356 frigates, displacing 3,850 tons are designed for anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare on the high seas, and for anti-aircraft operations, both independently and as an escort ship. The ships are armed with an eight-cell launcher for Kalibr and Klub (3M54E) anti-ship and surface-to-surface missiles, a 100-mm main gun, Kashtan gun/missile close-in air defense systems, Shtil vertical-launch air defense missile systems, two torpedo tubes, an anti-submarine rocket system and a Ka-28 or Ka-31 helicopter.

The project 11356 frigate packs a formidable arsenal of weapons capable of hitting different types of targets. Each ship has eight 3M22 launchers for Kalibr-NK cruise missiles (operational range of up to 2,500 kilometers) and Oniks anti-ship missiles (up to 500 kilometers).

The frigates also heve the AK-190 100-mm versatile artillery system with an operation range of up to 21 kilometers. As for anti-submarine warfare, the ship has the RBU-6000 12-barrel bomb launcher and four 533-mm torpedo launchers. In addition, there was the Shtil-1 anti-aircraft defensive system, with a range of up to 50 kilometers, as well as a pair of AK-630M six-barrel anti-aircraft cannons. All of the weapons are controlled by the Puma fire-command system, including target seeking and acquisition.

While developing project 11356, Russian engineers had in mind the combat and maintenance experience of the Burevestnik frigates, making a number of upgrades and adding new technologies. The ships also have an advanced computerized control system. As a result, the 4,035-ton and 125-meter-long frigate was operated by a crew of only 180, including 18 officers. According to instructions, the ship also carries a group of 20 marines and a Ka-27PL or Ka-31 anti-submarine helicopter with a crew.

They feature stealth technologies and a low level of noise, primarily due to their COCAG two-shaft gas turbine engine, which generates a total of 56,000 horsepower. The ship can reach speeds of up to 30 knots (56 kilometers per hour) and has a sea endurance of 30 days.

The frigates of project 11356 were initially designed to fight against both surface targets and submarines, to repel enemy aviation attacks, to destroy ground targets with high-precision weapons and to take part in counterterrorism and antipiracy missions. A project 11356 frigate was truly multipurpose and capable of accomplishing almost any combat task in its operational theater.

The Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Essen frigates were involved in Russia’s counterterrorism operation in Syria in 2016-2017, having repeatedly delivered high-precision strikes at enemy targets.

Aleksey Arestovich, adviser to the head of the President’s Office, said 03 April 2022 that the Armed Forces of Ukraine damaged the Admiral Essen-class frigate of the Russian fleet. “Admiral Essen-class frigate of the Russian fleet was damaged thanks to the courage and professionalism of our defenders,” Arestovich said. On 12 April 2022, according to the Russian Defence Ministry, Admiral Essen allegedly destroyed an Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 UAV off the coast of Crimea, using two missiles of the Shtil-1 surface-to-air missile system.