Why is Ukraine attacking Russian warships in the Baltic Sea amid talks? | Russia-Ukraine war News
Finland Detects Strike on Russian Warship Amid Ongoing Conflict
Finland’s military reported on Wednesday that it detected a strike on a Russian warship in the Gulf of Finland, coinciding with a series of drone attacks by Ukraine targeting the northwestern Leningrad region of Russia. The incident occurred during the first U.S.-brokered talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations since February, held in Abu Dhabi.
The strike represents a rare assault on a Russian naval vessel within the Baltic Sea. A spokesperson for Finland’s Defence Forces informed Reuters that the incident was monitored but provided no details on its timing or method of detection. The spokesperson added that Finland faces no immediate military threat. It remains unclear if there were any casualties; however, Estonian media reported that the affected vessel, a small Russian navy ship, returned to St. Petersburg.
In addition to the naval strike, three workers sustained injuries from a fire caused by drones at the Russian port of Ust-Luga. Meanwhile, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania advised their citizens to seek shelter as some drones penetrated their airspace, prompting NATO to scramble warplanes in response.
The Gulf of Finland is a strategic waterway between Finland and Estonia, extending to St. Petersburg and serving as a critical trade route for Russian oil and grain. The ongoing drone activity has raised concerns about the conflict spilling into NATO member states.
Finland’s Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen stated that the government had communicated with Kyiv regarding the sensitivity of the area, emphasizing environmental safety and the safety of civilian shipping. He reassured the public about the safety of the Baltic Sea, stating, “You can still cruise with peace of mind.”
Ilya Timtchenko, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, noted that this strike marks the first incident of its kind from Ukrainian forces against a Russian vessel in a commercially used area of the Baltic Sea. “Ukraine and its European allies are showing that they are unified in their approach to fighting off the Russian threat,” he said.
Ukraine’s Security Service claimed responsibility for the attack on the Buyan-M-class missile ship, Naro-Fominsk, describing it as part of a special operation. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that drone strikes at Ust-Luga resulted in significant damage to the port’s oil infrastructure, affecting five fuel tanks.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. envoys in Ireland, commending their mediation efforts.
In the recent talks held in Abu Dhabi, which lasted two days, no significant breakthroughs were achieved apart from an agreement on a future prisoner swap. The talks centered on territorial disputes, with Ukraine seeking to reclaim its original borders and Russia demanding control over Ukraine’s Donbas region. Russian negotiators proposed that Finland withdraw from NATO and called for restrictions on NATO military bases in the Baltic states.
As discussions continue, Ukraine appears to maintain pressure on Moscow through strategic attacks. Timtchenko remarked that these strikes not only demonstrate Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate but also its position of strength. He noted that Ukraine’s targeting of Russian energy infrastructure is intended to increase the economic burden of the conflict on Moscow, although this has faced some criticism from Washington.
While no public response has been issued from Moscow regarding the reported strike, Governor Drozdenko indicated that approximately 150 drones had been intercepted in the Leningrad region on Wednesday, which also disrupted power supply to a local station. Timtchenko suggested that while Moscow may respond with harsh rhetoric, such behavior has historically characterized Russian strategy during negotiations.
