Ukraine targets Russian Baltic ports
In recent days, facilities in the Russian Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga came under renewed attack and were set on fire by Ukrainian drones. Several drones crashed inside Finnish territory. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo suggested that Russia’s capabilities for “electronic jamming” were causing Ukrainian drones to veer off course, describing this as a “serious matter”.
War coffers in the crosshairs
Meduza explains why Ukraine has switched its focus to targeting Russian oil reserves:
“Ukraine is trying to undermine Russian oil exports, which have taken on particular significance (both for Russia itself and for other countries) as a result of the energy crisiscaused by the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Russia is being described as the beneficiary of this situation and Ukraine is trying to prevent it from profiting excessively from rising oil prices. Consequently, Ukrainian forces are attacking not only Russian ports but also oil refineries – in the last month alone, refineries in the regions of Leningrad, Krasnodar and in Bashkortostan have been attacked.”
Hit the enemy where it hurts
Õhtuleht makes it very clear:
“These attacks are strategically more important than recapturing villages. Russia's war economy is dependent on its oil exports. And it is precisely this economic artery that Ukraine is now targeting. While a conventional war aims to destroy enemy forces, this approach targets the enemy's ability to wage war. This is the classic indirect approach, in which victory is achieved by exploiting vulnerabilities in the opponent's system.”
Defenceless against Ukrainian drones?
Delfi looks at the reactions of Russian bloggers:
“In Russia, the response to the attacks has basically been: 'What happened to our unmatched air force?' According to military blogger Zaponkov, the drone attacks are eroding Russian soldiers' morale: if the state can't even protect its key ports, what can it do? ... The worst impact of the attacks, however, is economic: with the price of oil so high at the moment, it would be the ideal time for Russia to exploit the situation to top up its war coffers. Instead it must come up with an idea about what to do with the oil.”
US an unreliable ally now of all times
Aftonbladet is concerned:
“The global situation is becoming increasingly threatening. In recent weeks, Russia's war against Ukraine has spread to the Baltic Sea. Ukraine has carried out a successful attack on the Russian fleet in the Gulf of Finland and drones have crashed in both the Baltic states and Finland. Foreign drones may soon crash here, too. The Baltic Sea is a shared space. It would be nice to be able to write that all is well in transatlantic relations.”
Finland must prepare itself
Since such incidents could be repeated at any moment, answers to difficult questions must be found quickly, Lapin Kansa warns:
“This time the drones crashed without causing any harm. But what would have happened if there had been a risk of them crashing into a residential area? Military spokespersons assured us on Sunday that Finland has the capacity to respond to drones and to stop them if necessary, even if no country in the world can protect itself with 100 percent certainty. Yet open questions remain: How would the armed forces have responded in such a situation, and would they have been able to prevent damage? Should the public have been warned about the drones, and if so, in what way? Does Finland need warning systems for impending drone attacks?”
A resounding success for Kyiv
The Ukrainian drone attacks have humiliated Russia, observes Ilta-Sanomat:
“From Ukraine’s perspective, its attacks on the Leningrad Oblast were a resounding success. Russia was unable to repel all the Ukrainian drones, even at a time when Primorsk and Ust-Luga [in the Gulf of Finland] were already under fire and further drones were expected. From Russia’s perspective, the attacks were a massive humiliation. This fuels Putin’s thirst for revenge and his willingness to take risks.”
The Baltic needs better protection
The Baltic Sea needs better protection, writes Jyllands-Posten:
“This is not the first time we have been reminded of the Baltic Sea’s role in this war – and of how suddenly the region can be drawn into the conflict. The explosion of three sections of the German-Russian Nord Stream gas pipeline in September 2022 remains one of the great mysteries of this war. ... The next front line in the defence against Putin’s militaristic ambitions lies in the Baltic Sea region, and there is much to be done here in the near future. Not least, we must arm ourselves against Russian hybrid attacks and assaults on our infrastructure. At the same time, increased cooperation with our partners is required in order to pursue a more resolute policy towards the [Russian] shadow fleet.”
The Kremlin is responsible
Russia is to blame for stray Ukrainian drones, writes Iltalehti:
“Fortunately, the number of civilian casualties has remained low so far, but stray missiles and drones have caused considerable damage to property in Romania and elsewhere. ... Finland and Ukraine’s other partners need to remain realistic about this situation: 100-percent protection against drones is not possible. But even if drone attacks pose a security threat, we must not lose sight of the bigger picture: as long as Russia continues its brutal war of aggression and forces Ukraine to launch counter-strikes, the blame for drones reaching Finland lies squarely with the Kremlin.”