Two Drones Crash in Finland, Reportedly Ukrainian

The Finnish Air Force said at least one of the drones that violated the country’s airspace was of Ukrainian origin.

Yle reported this.

According to Finland’s Defense Ministry, several low-speed, small aerial targets were detected in the southeastern part of the country on Sunday morning and were likely drones.

From 8:13 a.m., several objects approached Finnish territorial waters. F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets were scrambled to identify them.

According to available information, one drone crashed north of the city of Kouvola and another to the east. Police said no one was injured and that the crash sites have been cordoned off for investigation.

The Air Force said pilots visually identified one of the objects as a Ukrainian AN-196 drone south of Kouvola. The fighters did not open fire to avoid possible collateral damage on the ground.

Some of the detected targets were also identified as flocks of birds. In addition, another drone was confirmed to have crashed near Espoo.
Meanwhile, Länsi-Uusimaa police said a “harmless drone” intended for civilian use was found in Espoo. Police said they do not suspect a crime.

The Finnish Coast Guard is leading the preliminary investigation into the airspace violation, with the Armed Forces and other authorities also involved.

“The drones entered Finnish territory. We take this very seriously. Security forces responded immediately. The investigation is ongoing, and additional information will be released once confirmed,” Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkinen reported.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the drones were likely of Ukrainian origin. He added that decisions on whether to shoot down such objects in the future would be made on a case-by-case basis, and that there is currently no general order to destroy them.

On the night of March 29, Ukrainian strike drones attacked the Russian oil terminal at Ust-Luga, about 160 kilometers southeast of Kouvola, for the third time in a week, sparking another fire at the facility.