Ukraine's special forces claim drone strike on Russian Baltic fleet base

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces say they carried out a drone strike on a Russian naval facility in Kronstadt, near St. Petersburg, targeting a key base of the Russian Baltic Fleet.

In a statement, the Ukrainian military said that “Deep Strike” units, working alongside the Unmanned Systems Forces and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), struck the facility overnight on June 6, Caliber.Az reports. 

According to the statement, several drones reached their targets, and a fire was reported within the base area. Ukraine did not immediately provide independent evidence of the damage.

“Kronstadt” is a symbol of Russia’s naval power and a strategic component of its Baltic Fleet, housing warships, submarines, training facilities, repair docks, and shipbuilding infrastructure, the Ukrainian statement said.

The Special Operations Forces added that the base’s significance has increased following Ukraine’s earlier strikes against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, arguing that Kronstadt has become more important for sustaining Russian naval capabilities.

The Ukrainian military also noted that the facility lies approximately 1,000 kilometres from Ukraine’s border.

By Sabina Mammadli