Finland’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that several unmanned aerial vehicles likely entered Finnish airspace over the country’s southern area. Officials reported that a few low-flying, slow-moving objects were seen in the sea area and southeastern Finland on Sunday morning, and the air force scrambled an F/A-18 Hornet to identify them.
Authorities said one drone came down north of Kouvola and another crashed to the east of the town. Police have cordoned off both crash sites and blocked nearby roads while investigators examine the wreckage and evidence from the scene.
Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said the drones had strayed into Finnish territory and that the matter was being treated very seriously. He added that the investigation is ongoing and that more details will be released after verification.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told public broadcaster Yle that the aircraft were likely stray Ukrainian drones, noting that Ukraine has recently conducted strikes in Russian border regions near Finland. Orpo suggested Russian jamming of drone signals might have caused some unmanned aircraft to veer off course. Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia.
The episode follows similar incidents in the Baltic countries. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania recently reported several Ukrainian drones crashing on their territory after straying during strikes on Russian oil export facilities along the Baltic coast.
In recent weeks Ukraine has intensified drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and export routes as part of efforts to undermine Russia’s war economy, while US-brokered peace talks have stalled. The Finnish probe into this weekend’s crashes is continuing as authorities seek to confirm origins and circumstances.