Russia has released a new video depicting the launch of ‘Kalibr’ cruise missiles against Ukraine

On March 23, the Russian Defense Ministry released new footage showing the launch of “Kalibr” cruise missiles against Ukrainian armed forces.

According to the ministry, eight missiles were launched from a guided-missile warship near the Black Sea port of Sevastopol, and three Bastion missiles were fired from coastal defence systems at Ukrainian forces targets.

The Russian navy is employing sea-launched land-attack Kalibr cruise missiles to target Ukrainian cities. However, for the first time, the country authorised the launch of these missiles.

The Kalibr missile, which has been in service since 2015 and has an estimated range of 1,500 to 2,500 km (932 to 1,553 miles), was tested and used in Syria.

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Clear video of a cruise missile barrage being launched by a Russian warship in the Black Sea pic.twitter.com/by5y9zGxKv

— Woofers (@NotWoofers) March 22, 2022

According to multiple videos of the launch on social media, the Russian Navy launched eight long-range naval cruise missiles from a guided-missile warship near the Black Sea port of Sevastopol.

Several Instagram and Telegram posts show a video of eight missiles launching from a ship operating off the coast of Crimea that resemble a Kalibr NK SS-N-30 naval guided cruise missile, which launches vertically and quickly pivots 90 degrees to travel parallel to the ground.

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Tuesday that the Pentagon was unable to confirm reports of missile launches. However, the Department of Defense has observed increased naval activity in the Black Sea. The launch could not be independently verified by USNI News.

The footage corresponded with ship spotters who tracked a modern frigate operating in the Black Sea between Crimea and just off the coast of Odesa. H I Sutton, a USNI News contributor, has tracked an Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate operating between Crimea and Odesa. The eight Kalibr cruise missiles were not fired at Mariupol, but given their range, they could have hit any target within a thousand miles of the launch site.

On Monday afternoon, at least two videos of Russian ships firing Kalibr munitions were posted to Twitter.

There are also indications that ships in the Sea of Azov contributed to Russia’s bombardment of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, according to Kirby, who declined to specify what specific munitions were used. Mariupol, which is still under Ukrainian control, has been bombarded by Moscow. According to the Pentagon, Russia’s goal is to capture the port city in order to build a land bridge to Crimea, which has been under Russian control since 2014.

Aside from an early amphibious assault outside of Mariupol, the Russian Navy has largely played a supporting role throughout the 27-day invasion and has not played a direct role in the conflict.

As of Tuesday, the Russian Navy had 21 ships in the Black Sea, according to a senior defence official. There are 12 surface combatants and nine amphibious landing ships among the ships.
The Russian Navy does have landing ships in its fleet, but an amphibious assault on Odesa is not imminent, according to a senior defence official.

The increased naval activity coincides with Pentagon assessments highlighting Russian dissatisfaction with the lack of progress.

“It is day 27, and they haven’t taken Kyiv,” Kirby said. “They haven’t taken Kharkiv. They haven’t taken Chernihiv. They haven’t been able to isolate the Donbas area. The Ukrainians are fighting back very creatively, very bravely. And that’s not by accident, either.”