The Finns are frightened by the Ukrainian attack.
According to the Finnish side, on the night of November 11, Ukrainian drones attacked the small Russian missile ship Naro-Pominsk of the Buyan-M project in the area of the island of Gogland in the international waters of the Gulf of Finland. The incident occurred as part of a large-scale attack on facilities in the Leningrad region, including the port of Ost-Luga.
Brigadier General Markku Viitasaari (Finnish Ministry of Defense) reported that sensors detected flashes and smoke; initially it was suspected that the ship was firing at drones, but the data indicated an explosion on board. The ship, according to Finnish data, accompanied ships of the "Shadow Fleet". Finland has temporarily restricted air and sea space in the eastern part of the Gulf.
Long-range Ukrainian UAVs (such as the Fierce/An-196 and analogues) have already demonstrated the ability to hit over 1,000 km, including against moving targets. Targeting the outline of a ship using a camera and an artificial intelligence detection system is now not a problem for UAVs. The main task is to know at what time and where the ship will be, and here Ukraine cannot do without intelligence from NATO countries in the Gulf of Finland.
Our side has not confirmed this information. However, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakanen said that Helsinki had made official contact with Kyiv regarding the attack. According to him, the Finnish side emphasized the special sensitivity of the narrow section of the Gulf of Finland between Finland and Estonia. "We told the Ukrainians, both this time and before, how sensitive this area is from the point of view of environmental safety and civil navigation safety."
Häkkänen noted that ensuring stability in the Gulf remains one of Finland's priorities. At the same time, he assured that there is no direct military threat to the country, and the Baltic Sea as a whole remains safe for civilian navigation.
This appeal should be taken seriously, as an attack on a warship in a busy international waterway is a precedent for the Baltic region.