The Admiral Makarov is said to have been struck by anti-ship missiles while it was in waters off the coast of Odessa.
Rescue ships and aircraft have reportedly been sent to the area and are being tracked by US surveillance drones.
“OSINTdefender”, an open source intelligence monitor, tweeted: “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 are true.
“Multiple rescue ships and aircraft are reportedly in the area with U.S surveillance drones keeping eyes on it.”
Social media user “UOI”, a war analyst, wrote: “Sources say the Russian frigate was hit by a Neptune missile and is on fire near Snake Island.”
Neither the Russian or Ukrainian officials have as yet officially confirmed that the Russian frigate was hit.
If the reports are confirmed, this would represent another humiliating blow for Vladimir Putin and his naval high command.
Last month, the flagship of the Black Sea, the Moskva, was sunk after being hit by Neptune missiles fired by the Ukrainian army.
The 409-foot Admiral Makarov is one of the most important ships at the disposal of the Russian Black Sea fleet.
It belongs to the Admiral Grigorovich-class of frigates and boasts impressive and powerful defence systems.
The frigate is armed with 24 Buk medium-range surface-to-air missiles and eight Kalibr cruise missiles, all in vertical cells.
More to follow…..
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