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Ukrainian Drones Leave Russian Missile Warship Unable to Sail, With Crew Dead and Wounded
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A Russian missile-armed warship struck by Ukrainian drones in the Gulf of Finland on November 11 sustained multiple hits, suffered casualties among its crew, and lost the ability to navigate independently, according to Estonian military officials.
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The vessel, identified as the Naro-Fominsk, a Buyan-M-class corvette belonging to Russia’s Baltic Fleet, was eventually assisted to St. Petersburg after initially attempting to return under its own power.
According to Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR on November 14, Colonel Aron Kalmus, deputy commander of a division in the Estonian Defense Forces, confirmed during a defense ministry briefing that several Ukrainian drones had successfully struck the Russian warship.
Kalmus said Estonian military intelligence had established the number of successful hits but declined to disclose the precise figure to avoid revealing the country’s surveillance capabilities.
He confirmed that the ship had sustained significant damage and that Russian personnel aboard had been killed and wounded. The exact number of casualties was not disclosed.
Following the attack, the Naro-Fominsk initially sailed toward St. Petersburg without assistance. However, the vessel subsequently stopped and was unable to continue independently, requiring another Russian ship to assist it in reaching the port.
The strike occurred near Gogland Island in the Gulf of Finland during a broader Ukrainian drone operation targeting Russian military and infrastructure facilities, including the port of Ust-Luga in Russia’s Leningrad region.
Kalmus also reported that Ukrainian drones briefly entered Estonian airspace during the operation, including areas over the Gulf of Finland and southeastern Estonia. According to the Estonian officer, the incursions lasted only several minutes, and Estonian defense personnel monitored the aircraft throughout their presence.
Estonian forces decided against intercepting the drones near the Russian border, citing concerns that falling debris or air defense munitions could land on Russian territory and potentially escalate the situation.
NATO fighter aircraft, including Turkish jets stationed at Estonia’s Ämari Air Base, also responded to the drone activity, according to reports. Kalmus additionally pointed to the Ukrainian operation against Ust-Luga, assessing that the accuracy of Ukrainian drone strikes had improved.
On November 11, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced that it had struck the Naro-Fominsk, a Project 21631 Buyan-M-class missile corvette launched in 2022. The Buyan-M class consists of relatively small Russian warships equipped with guided missile systems, including Kalibr cruise missiles capable of striking land targets at long distances.
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