A Russian Baltic Fleet corvette sustained multiple Ukrainian drone hits during a large-scale attack on the port of Ust-Luga, leaving it damaged and eventually unable to continue under its own power, according to Colonel Aron Kalmus, Deputy Commander of the Estonian Division. Kalmus described the attack on the Naro-Fominsk at an Estonian Defence Ministry briefing reported by Estonian public broadcaster ERR and European Pravda.
Kalmus said the strikes caused deaths and injuries aboard the corvette, without providing casualty figures. The vessel initially headed towards St Petersburg under its own power but subsequently stopped. An additional escort vessel then arrived, and the damaged corvette continued towards St Petersburg accompanied by that ship.
The colonel said Estonian forces had a precise understanding of how many drones struck the vessel but would not disclose the number, explaining that doing so could reveal what they were able to observe and how. His description indicated more than three hits. He distinguished the repeated strikes from a single hit that might be considered chance or two that might be treated as coincidence.
During the operation, Ukrainian drones also briefly crossed into airspace over southeastern Estonia and Estonian airspace above the Gulf of Finland, Kalmus said. He described their presence as lasting minutes rather than hours and said Estonian authorities were aware of the crossings and monitored them.
Kalmus said the drones were flying too close to the border for a safe interception. Debris from the aircraft, or ammunition used to bring them down, could have landed in Russia. He said Estonia and NATO exercised considerable caution over such actions because of the potential consequences and the need to avoid escalation.
The Naro-Fominsk was unable to shoot down the incoming drones because its vessel type was not designed for air defence, Kalmus said. He described its intended roles as long-range attacks and escort duties. For strikes at distance, he identified Kalibr cruise missiles, adding that the class also carries Oniks anti-ship missiles.
The Security Service of Ukraine had previously reported that the warship was hit during a Ukrainian defence forces operation against oil infrastructure at Ust-Luga, in Russia's Leningrad Oblast. Separately, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has dismissed as baseless Russian allegations that Ukraine uses Baltic airspace to carry out drone attacks on Russian territory.
