Ukraine’s SBU said it struck the Russian ship Naro-Fominsk in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday as part of a wider drone operation against the Ust-Luga oil depot, News.ro reports citing the BBC.

Finnish authorities confirmed an attack on a Russian warship. It is the first time Ukrainian drones have hit a Russian vessel in a Baltic area open to civilian shipping, raising questions about a possible widening of strikes.

Finland, a close Kyiv ally, called the incident a consequence of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the Baltic remains stable and shipping is not under threat.

The SBU described the ship as a Buyan-M corvette carrying Kalibr and Oniks missiles. Estonian Defence Minister Martin Herem said it was hit around 05:30, smoke rose, and it turned toward St Petersburg.

Damage remains unclear. Analyst Emil Kastehelmi said the Baltic Fleet had been untouched until now but does not see a severe escalation, even if the Baltic strike is unprecedented.

Ust-Luga tanks were hit the same night; fires were visible from Estonia. Herem said drones mostly flew in Russian airspace near the Estonian border.

Kyiv rejected Moscow’s claim that Baltic airspace was used for the attacks, while acknowledging incidents can occur when Russia diverts drones with electronic warfare.

Russian warship hit by Ukrainian drone in Gulf of Finland — News.ro

Image: Wikimedia Commons — Gulf of Finland (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Sources consulted: Russian warship hit by Ukrainian drone in Gulf of Finland — News.ro.