A Russian warship has been hit by a Ukrainian drone in the Gulf of Finland, in what is thought to be the first such attack on a Russian vessel in the open Baltic Sea. The Gulf of Finland warship strike expands Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign into waters close to NATO members Finland and Estonia.
Ukraine’s Security Service, the SBU, said it had planned and carried out an attack on the Project 21631 Buyan-M-class small missile corvette Naro-Fominsk, as part of a wider drone operation against the oil export port of Ust-Luga on the Baltic coast on the night of November 11. The corvette, commissioned into Russia’s Baltic Fleet in December 2023, is 74.1 metres long, displaces 949 tonnes and can carry Kalibr cruise missiles and P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles, the SBU said. The SBU did not specify the weapon used or provide evidence of damage caused to the vessel.
Finland and Estonia Confirm the Strike
Finland’s Defence Forces said they detected a strike on a Russian warship in the Gulf of Finland and have monitored developments since, a spokesperson told Global Defense Corp on November 12. Brigadier General Markku Viitasaari of Finland’s defence ministry told the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that Finnish sensors recorded flashes and smoke from the ship in international waters near the Russian-held island of Gogland, about 40 kilometres off the Finnish coast near Kotka. Estonia’s Defence Minister Martin Herem told the public broadcaster ERR that an explosion occurred aboard a Russian Baltic Fleet vessel at about 5:30 a.m., after which the ship headed toward St. Petersburg. Finland restricted airspace over the eastern Gulf of Finland at 2:09 a.m. and began maritime restrictions at 2:15 a.m.
The extent of the damage and any casualties is unknown, and Moscow has not commented. The ship was able to continue under its own power toward St. Petersburg, according to reports, and was escorting vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet of oil tankers. Ukraine’s general staff said five oil storage tanks were damaged at Ust-Luga in the same operation, and Russian regional authorities said three workers were injured. Finland’s foreign minister, Elina Valtonen, said the situation in the Baltic Sea remained stable and there was no threat to shipping, and the Finnish Defence Forces said there is no immediate military threat to Finland. Read our earlier report on Russian strikes on Ukrainian power stations here: https://reportrig.com/russia-hits-six-ukraine-power-substations-as-talks-resume/
