Ukrainian drones hit Russian corvette during Ust-Luga attack

A Russian Baltic Fleet corvette was hit by multiple drones during Ukraine’s attack on the port of Ust-Luga, suffering serious damage and casualties, Estonian Defence Forces division deputy commander Colonel Aron Kalmus said at a Defence Ministry briefing, ERR reported. There were dead and wounded, he said.

The attack took place overnight into Nov. 11. Kalmus said the Sviyazhsk-class corvette Naro-Fominsk was struck by more than three drones. He did not disclose the exact number, saying he did not want to reveal what Estonia’s defence forces could observe.

The corvette initially moved towards St Petersburg under its own power, but later stopped. It was unable to continue independently and was escorted towards the city by another vessel, Kalmus said.

The ship is designed for long-range strikes and escort duties, rather than air defence, he said. Its long-range weapons include Kalibr cruise missiles, and it is also equipped with Oniks anti-ship missiles. At least one Mi-8/17 helicopter involved in an air-defence operation was destroyed by Russian air-defence fire, Kalmus said.

NATO fighter jets based in the Baltic states responded after midnight, including Turkish fighters stationed at Ämari in Estonia. Kalmus said the drones were briefly in southeastern Estonia and in Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland. Estonia tracked them but did not shoot them down, because debris or ammunition could have landed in Russian territory and risked escalating the situation.

The Ukrainian Security Service said the attack damaged oil tanks, pumping stations, pipelines and oil-product transfer infrastructure at Ust-Luga. Kalmus said several storage tanks at the Novatek-Ust-Luga terminal were hit, as were oil tanks at the Ust-Luga Oil terminal, where a large fire broke out.

Fires were also reported at the Factor terminal and Luuga railway station. Kalmus said social media reports described further fires at the Novatek-Ust-Luga hydrocracking unit, air-cooling equipment, a pumping station, a pier, a timber warehouse and pipelines, as well as damage to an LNG terminal.

Kalmus said Ukrainian drone accuracy had improved and the country’s armed forces had expanded their drone capabilities.