Estonia Confirms Multiple Drone Hits on Russian Corvette in the Baltic
In addition to the serious damage inflicted on the Ust-Luga oil terminal in a Ukrainian strike on Wednesday night, a Russian Navy corvette suffered disabling hits and multiple casualties, according to the Estonian Defence Forces. It may be the first instance of a Ukrainian attack on a Baltic Fleet warship while under way, and an additional signal that the high-intensity Black Sea conflict is shifting to another NATO theater.
In a press briefing Friday, Estonian Defence Forces deputy commander Col. Aron Kalmus gave a thorough and candid account of the Ukrainian drone strike. On Wednesday night, a large-scale, multiprong attack drone force launched at targets in and around St. Petersburg. The drones passed briefly through the edge of Estonian airspace along the Russian border, and fighters were scrambled to monitor their movements. None were shot down for fear of striking Russian territory, Kalmus said.
The drone force hit the oil and refining complexes in and around Ust-Luga, and large-scale fires were reported on social media. Several oil tanks were damaged, and fires damaged the Novatek hydrocracking unit for gas condensate processing, an LNG terminal, multiple pipelines, and a timber warehouse, according to the Estonian damage assessment. As previously reported, Russian ground-based air defense forces also shot down one or more of their own helicopters during the defense of Ust-Luga, Kalmus confirmed.
In addition, the Russian Buyan-M class corvette Naro-Fominsk was hit by at least four drones and badly damaged while under way in the Gulf of Finland. With limited onboard point defenses, it was not adequately equipped to defend itself against a heavy strike, Kalmus said.
"It was hit by a significant number of drones. We also know quite precisely how many were hit. I wouldn't go into details . . . [but] it was hit by more than three, which for the Defence Forces would have been a pattern," Kalmus said. "There were fatalities and injuries."
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The corvette began making way to St. Petersburg after the attack, but faltered in her progress and required assistance from another vessel.
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has claimed responsibility for the attack on the vessel, but has not provided additional details.
