Ukraine strikes Russian warship in Baltic Sea during peace talks

Ukrainian forces conducted a rare attack on a Russian navy vessel in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday, a move that coincided with high-stakes diplomatic negotiations in the United Arab Emirates. Finland’s military confirmed the detection of a strike on a warship in the Gulf of Finland area while Ukrainian drones also targeted infrastructure in Russia’s Leningrad region.

The incident occurred while Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Abu Dhabi for the first United States-brokered talks since February. A spokesperson for the Finnish Defence Forces stated that the strike was detected in the Gulf of Finland, though no immediate military threat was posed to Finland itself. The details regarding the specific timing and location of the impact were not disclosed.

Estonian media reported that the target was a small Russian navy ship that subsequently returned to St Petersburg. It remains unclear if there were any casualties from the strike. Meanwhile, drones caused a fire at the Russian port of Ust-Luga, injuring three workers according to regional Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko. The port is a significant outlet for Russian oil and grain exports.

The incursion of drones into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania prompted NATO to scramble warplanes and advised citizens to take shelter. Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen noted that Helsinki had previously warned Kyiv about the sensitivity of the narrow waterway between Finland and Estonia. He emphasized the importance of environmental safety and civilian shipping in the area.

Ukraine’s Security Service identified the target as the Buyan-M-class small missile ship Naro-Fominsk, describing the action as part of a special operation. The General Staff of Ukraine reported that drone strikes on the Ust-Luga port damaged five fuel tanks and significantly impacted the tank network. On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US envoys in Ireland to discuss the ongoing mediation efforts.

The two-day talks in Abu Dhabi concluded without a major breakthrough, though both sides agreed to exchange a large number of prisoners. The primary point of contention remains territory, with Ukraine seeking to restore pre-war borders and Russia aiming to control the entire Donbas region. Moscow has also proposed that Finland leave NATO and that the alliance avoid establishing military bases in the Baltic states.

Analysts suggest that Ukraine is using these strikes to maintain pressure on Moscow while demonstrating a position of strength at the negotiating table. Ilya Timtchenko, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, noted that the attacks signal unity between Ukraine and its European allies in countering the Russian threat. He added that long-range strikes strengthen Kyiv’s leverage in diplomatic discussions.

Russia has not issued a public statement regarding the specific strike on the warship. However, Governor Drozdenko stated that 150 drones were shot down over the Leningrad region on Wednesday, an attack that also disrupted a power station. The strikes have drawn criticism from Washington, with President Trump linking Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure to rising diesel prices in the US.

Despite the diplomatic friction, both sides have agreed to continue the talks. US envoys met with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before traveling to Ireland to meet with Zelenskyy. The coordinated military and diplomatic actions highlight the complex strategy Ukraine is employing to balance battlefield gains with the pursuit of a negotiated settlement.