Finland detected a strike on a Russian warship in the Gulf of Finland, near Gogland Island, also known as Suursaari. A senior Finnish government official confirmed to Yle that the explosion was recorded early in the morning on November 11.
Ukraine’s Security Service said it had planned and carried out the attack using drones. “We planned and carried out the strike,” the agency said in a statement quoted by Yle. According to the Ukrainian side, the target was the small Buyan-M-class missile ship “Naro-Fominsk”, which is part of Russia’s Baltic Fleet.
Ships of this class are designed to use Kalibr and Oniks cruise missiles. Estonia’s Defence Minister Martin Herem confirmed to ERR that an explosion occurred on a Russian ship in the Gulf of Finland at around 5:30 a.m. According to him, the ship then headed towards St. Petersburg.
Finland imposed temporary restrictions
The Finnish Armed Forces temporarily restricted air traffic and shipping in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland as a precautionary measure. The air restrictions were imposed at 2:09 a.m., while the maritime restrictions were introduced at 2:15 a.m. Both measures were lifted at 7:20 a.m., Helsinki Times reports.
Finland’s Defence Ministry also reported a suspected airspace violation by an unidentified drone. According to the ministry, the unmanned aircraft entered Finnish airspace over the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland and remained there for about five minutes. The Finnish Border Guard is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Damage to the ship remains unclear
There is no independent confirmation of how seriously the “Naro-Fominsk” was damaged. Reports in Russian and Ukrainian channels claim that there may have been fatalities or injuries among the crew, but these reports have not been confirmed by Yle.
Russian authorities confirmed drone attacks on the port of Ust-Luga in Leningrad Region, where a fire broke out and three workers were injured. Moscow has not publicly confirmed reports of a strike on the warship. That same night, Russia said it had intercepted a large number of Ukrainian drones.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of a Ukrainian attack on Russian energy and port facilities in the Ust-Luga area. If it is confirmed that the “Naro-Fominsk” was hit, this would be one of the most significant Ukrainian strikes against a Russian warship in the Baltic region since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Sources: yle.fi, helsinkitimes.fi, 24chasa.bg