Russian Warship Hit in Gulf of Finland in Early Morning Strike

Russian warship attacked in Gulf of Finland early Wednesday

Finnish officials confirmed a Russian warship was attacked in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday, with limited details released about the strike.

Ukraine’s SBU security service said it targeted the ship Naro-Fominsk as part of a broader drone operation against the Ust-Luga oil export depot on the Baltic coast. The incident appears to be the first time Ukrainian drones struck a Russian ship in an area of the Baltic Sea open to civilian maritime traffic.

Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen stated that the situation in the Baltic Sea remained stable and safe and that there was no threat to marine traffic. Finnish defence authorities noted the Gulf is a relatively narrow waterway used by oil tankers and civilian vessels and that subsea data cables run through the area.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The strike highlights a new operational window for Ukrainian forces to reach maritime targets in the Baltic Sea, according to observers who noted the Baltic Fleet had remained untouched until now. Estonian defence minister Martin Herem reported the ship was hit at about 05:30 local time and that smoke was later seen from the vessel as it returned toward St Petersburg.

Ukrainian drones are regularly launched from northern Ukraine and the SBU described the targeted vessel as a Buyan-M type small corvette equipped with Kalibr and Oniks cruise missiles. There were unconfirmed reports of Russian combat helicopters being destroyed and several storage tanks at the Ust-Luga terminal were reportedly hit, with visible fires at the port seen from across the Estonian border.

Estonian accounts indicate Ukrainian drones operated from midnight until about 06:00, mostly within Russian airspace near the Estonian border, and one drone briefly entered Estonian airspace from Latvia before returning to Russia. NATO aircraft were airborne during the events but were not deployed to shoot down the drones due to safety considerations.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Finnish officials confirmed a Russian warship was attacked in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday.
• The Ukrainian SBU said the ship Naro-Fominsk was targeted during a drone operation against the Ust-Luga oil export depot.
• Finland described the Baltic Sea situation as stable and said marine traffic was not threatened.
• Estonian defence minister Martin Herem reported smoke from the ship and that it returned toward St Petersburg after the strike.
• The SBU identified the vessel as a Buyan-M corvette reportedly carrying Kalibr and Oniks cruise missiles.
• Reports indicate several storage tanks at Ust-Luga were hit and fires were visible from Estonia.
• Ukrainian drones reportedly operated near the Estonian border from midnight until about 06:00, with one drone briefly entering Estonian airspace.
• NATO aircraft were airborne but did not engage the drones for safety reasons.