Russian warship hit by Ukrainian drone in Gulf of Finland near Nato borders

A Russian warship was struck by a Ukrainian drone in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian and Finnish officials, marking a significant escalation near Nato's borders. The attack targeted the Naro-Fominsk missile ship, which Ukraine said was carrying cruise missiles. Finland's Defence Forces confirmed the strike on an unnamed warship in the Baltic Sea but declined to provide details on the location or method. Ukraine's SBU security service said the attack was part of a broader drone operation, and Estonia reported the ship later sailed back towards St Petersburg. This is believed to be the first Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian ship in Baltic waters open to civilian traffic. The incident prompted Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to issue shelter warnings due to drones in their airspace, with Nato scrambling warplanes in response. The attack comes as Russia reportedly demands Finland leave Nato as part of any peace deal, and as Ukraine struck a major oil refinery in Volgograd on Friday.