Ukraine Claims Drone Strike on Russian Warship in Gulf of Finland, Raising Baltic Sea Security Concerns
Finnish officials have confirmed that a Russian naval vessel was attacked in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday, following a Ukrainian drone operation targeting Russian military and energy infrastructure near the Baltic coast.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it had targeted the Russian warship Naro-Fominsk as part of a wider drone assault on the Ust-Luga oil export terminal in northwestern Russia.
The incident is drawing attention because it could mark the first known Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian naval vessel in this part of the Baltic Sea, where civilian ships and commercial oil tankers regularly operate.
Estonian Defence Minister Martin Herem said the vessel was hit at around 5:30 am local time on Wednesday. According to him, smoke was seen rising from the ship following the incident, after which it headed back towards St Petersburg. However, the exact nature of the attack and the extent of the damage remain unclear.
The SBU described the Naro-Fominsk as a Buyan-M class corvette equipped with Kalibr and Oniks cruise missiles. There have also been unconfirmed reports claiming that Russian combat helicopters were destroyed during the wider operation.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted the Ust-Luga region between midnight and 6 am. Several storage tanks at the oil export terminal are believed to have been hit, triggering fires that were visible from neighbouring Estonia.
The incident has prompted attention from officials across the Baltic region, particularly because the Gulf of Finland is a busy maritime corridor carrying commercial vessels and oil tankers. The waters also contain important undersea data cables.
Despite the attack, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen sought to reassure the public, stating that the situation in the Baltic Sea remained stable and safe, with no threat to maritime traffic.
Estonian officials also reported that one Ukrainian drone briefly entered their airspace from Latvia before heading towards Russia. Most of the drones involved in the operation reportedly remained within Russian airspace.
Military analyst Emil Kastehelmi, co-founder of the Black Bird monitoring group, said Ukraine appeared to have identified an opportunity to strike Russia’s Baltic Sea fleet. However, he did not consider the incident a major escalation.
While naval vessels from both sides have repeatedly come under attack in the Black Sea since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a reported strike on a Russian warship in the Baltic represents a significant development in the conflict.
For now, the extent of damage to the Naro-Fominsk, possible casualties and the full impact of the operation remain unknown. Russia has not provided detailed information about the incident.
