Finland Says It Detected Strike on Russian Warship in Baltic Sea

By Reuters Nov. 12, 2026 Okras (CC BY-SA 4.0) Finland's military said on Thursday its forces had detected "a strike" on a Russian warship in the Baltic Sea a day earlier, but that the security situation in the area remained stable. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties or what had caused the strike. Estonian media reported on Thursday that the vessel was a small Russian Navy ship and that it later returned to St. Petersburg. "The Finnish Defense Forces detected... a strike on a Russian warship in the Gulf of Finland area and has monitored the development of the situation," a spokesperson for the Nordic country's military said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Finland is not under any immediate military threat, the spokesperson added. The defense forces declined to provide further details about the location or timing of the incident, or how it was detected. Ukraine has been sending waves of military drones toward Russia's northwest Leningrad region, which includes the city of St. Petersburg as well as the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, a major export outlet for commodities such as oil and grain. Some Ukrainian drones have strayed into the airspace of Finland and the Baltic region, leading to fears that the war is spilling over into NATO countries that border Russia and its ally Belarus. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania early on Wednesday issued warnings to citizens to take shelter due to drones in their airspace, and NATO scrambled warplanes in response. The Gulf of Finland is a narrow arm of the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia that extends eastwards to St. Petersburg. Read more about: Finland , Navy Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Pentagon Denies Helping Ukraine Sink Moskva "We did not provide Ukraine with specific targeting information for the Moskva," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. Russia Admits 1 Dead, 27 Missing After Moskva Cruiser Sinking This marks Moscow's first admission of the losses following the tragedy. Photos Appear to Show Stricken Moskva Missile Cruiser Two low-resolution photos taken from different angles showed a large warship engulfed in smoke. The Finnish City Where Lenin Met Stalin Still Lives in Russia's Shadow A museum in Finland once depicted Lenin as an epic hero. 100 years after the Bolshevik leader's revolution, curators are taking a second look