| Conflict: | Raid on Baltischport |
| Place: | Baltischport, Governorate of Estonia (now Paldiski, Republic of Estonia) |
| Width: | 315 |
| Partof: | Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790) |
| Date: | 17 March 1790 |
| Territory: | Paldiski is sacked |
| Result: | Swedish victory |
| Combatants Header: | Belligerents |
| Combatant1: |  Sweden |
| Combatant2: | Russia |
| Commander1: | Rudolf Cederström |
| Commander2: | de Roberty |
| Strength1: | 2 Frigates 50-60 men |
| Strength2: | 300–360 men 49 cannons |
| Casualties1: | none |
| Casualties2: | Entire garrison capitulated 49 cannons disabled |
| Units2: | Paldiski garrison |
| Units1: | Ulla Fersen Jarramas |
The Raid on Baltischport was a successful Swedish military operation during the Russo-Swedish war of 1788–1790 which targeted the small Estonian port of Paldiski (Roggersvik; then called Baltiyskiy Port). The Swedish force consisted of 2 frigates and 50-60 men led by Rudolf Cederström. The operation resulted in the Russian naval stores and war material located in Paldiski no longer being able to be used for the imminent mobilization.
In 1788, the Swedish king Gustav III, who had become quite unpopular in Sweden, sought a solution, he first looked towards Denmark as a means for increasing his popularity, but this was scrapped as he was not able to get any support for a war with them.[1] He then he saw an opportunity in the east, which resulted in the Russo Swedish War 1788-1790.
After his participation in the Battle of Hogland, Cederström received a promotion to captain and soon after received command of his own frigate; with this he was ordered to spend the winter inside of the Finnish archipelago with another Frigate named Hector. In 1789, he mostly sailed around Gotland with the order of keeping the war command informed of Russian movements in the Baltic, he also succeeded in capturing a number of Russian merchant ships.
He now received the attention of Gustav III and received his first significant order, which was to attack Paldiski before the sea had become fully ice free, which was thought to be the place where the Russians had constructed a fleet.
After a stormy journey from the port of Karlskrona, Cederström arrived on the morning of March 17 with 2 frigates to Paldiski. Upon arriving he noticed that there was no Russian fleet to be seen. Despite this, he let the 50-60 strong force stationed on the ships disembark the ships in order to storm the small fortress there.[2] Despite being outnumbered by at least 6:1, he succeeded, and after a short shelling of the fortress he forced it to surrender, after which he demanded 4000 rubles in brandskattning (ransom) from the city.[3] [4] He also burned all the storehouses with considerable amounts of material used for building ships and disabled all 49 of the cannons inside the fortress.[5] [6] [7] [8]
After returning home from the raid, Cederström was quickly promoted to the rank of Major and it lived on in the form of a popular folk song.
Catherine the Great, the Empress, was very resentful of de Roberty, the defender of Paldiski, and thought it was a shameful surrender. She hoped and believed that there would soon be an uprising against Gustav III. Her secretary Chrapovitsky retorts "such an enterprising king needs employment." Catherine sighed "Yes, that prankster!"
While the war material in Paldiski could no longer be used, the raid alerted the Russians on the Swedish war plans and allowed them to plan ahead.