Putin's Baltic Fleet Hit by Ukrainian Attack in Gulf of Finland as War Reaches New Front

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said it had struck a Russian Baltic Fleet missile ship in the Gulf of Finland during a wider drone operation against the Leningrad region, bringing the war closer to NATO territory.

The vessel was identified by the SBU as the Naro-Fominsk, a Buyan-M-class corvette capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles. Estonia's Defence Minister Martin Herem told public broadcaster ERR that an explosion occurred aboard a Russian warship at about 5:30am on Wednesday, 11 November. Smoke was seen coming from the vessel before it headed towards St Petersburg.

Finland's military confirmed it had detected a strike on a Russian warship in the Gulf of Finland and was monitoring the situation. The extent of the damage and whether anyone was injured remain unknown. The SBU has not provided evidence of the damage or specified the weapon used.

Ukraine Claims Strike on Naro-Fominsk

The SBU said the attack on the Naro-Fominsk was planned and carried out as part of an operation targeting Russian port, oil-processing and transport infrastructure at Ust-Luga, on the Baltic coast. The agency said the warship belonged to Russia's Baltic Fleet and could launch Kalibr and Oniks missiles.

A senior Finnish official told public broadcaster Yle that the attack was detected near Gogland Island, also known as Suursaari, about 40km south of Finland and 55km north of Estonia.

The Finnish Defence Forces imposed temporary restrictions on maritime areas and airspace in the eastern part of the gulf as a precaution after the wider Ukrainian operation.

Wider Drone Attack Reaches Baltic Coast

The warship incident coincided with a major drone assault on Russia's Leningrad region, which includes St Petersburg and the port of Ust-Luga, a key export hub for oil, petroleum products and other goods.

Ukraine's military said five fuel tanks at Ust-Luga had been damaged. Regional governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said the attack caused a fire and injured three workers. Reuters reported that Russia said it had shot down drones over the region, although the figures could not be independently verified.

Estonian officials said most drones involved in the operation remained in Russian airspace, but some briefly crossed into Estonia. NATO aircraft were scrambled as drones entered the airspace of Baltic states, prompting authorities in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to issue shelter warnings.

NATO Neighbours Monitor Regional Security

The Gulf of Finland is a narrow stretch of the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia, extending east towards St Petersburg. Both Finland and Estonia are NATO members, placing the reported strike close to alliance territory.

However, officials have not described the incident as a direct threat to NATO. Finland's military said there was no immediate military threat to the country and that the security situation in the Baltic Sea remained stable.

The SBU's claim that it hit the Naro-Fominsk has not been independently confirmed in full. Estonia confirmed an explosion and smoke aboard a Russian vessel, while Finland confirmed detection of a strike. Neither country has disclosed the cause, the precise damage or any casualties. The Russian Defence Ministry has not publicly commented on the reported attack.