The war in Ukraine is edging closer to Finland, prompting the Finnish Defence Forces to say it has stepped up surveillance amid Ukrainian drone strikes in nearby regions.

The military maintains a real-time picture of local activity, Ilta-Sanomat reports.

This week, Ukraine struck Russian Baltic Sea oil ports, as well as targets in Vyborg. Commenting on these strikes, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) said these developments underscore how the war is increasingly affecting areas near Finland.

Accounting manoeuvers

The Finns Party is looking for a way to shift billions off Finland's public debt figures, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

The party proposes abolishing wealth limits for right-of-occupancy housing, a move that would drop some six billion euros in state-backed loans from official public debt statistics.

The National Coalition Party, along with civil servants, has shown little enthusiasm for the plan.

Right-of-occupancy housing is a middle ground between ownership and renting. Residents pay an upfront occupancy fee, representing a share of the home's value, followed by a monthly maintenance fee.

Crossing the border for cheaper gas

A swift rise in fuel prices is prompting a growing number of people in northern Finland to cross the border to refuel at cheaper stations in the Swedish town of Haparanda.

"I've saved around 1,000 euros a year by filling up our family's two cars in Haparanda. In doing so, I've benefited from the Swedish government's fuel subsidy," Jaakko Kallio told Talouselämä.

The business magazine reports that on Wednesday, 95-octane petrol in Tornio was priced at 2.05 euros per litre, compared with 1.70 across the border. Diesel showed a similar gap, at 2.38 per litre in Tornio versus 2.14 in Sweden’s favour.