Finland’s military announced on Tuesday that it had temporarily shut a section of its airspace and imposed restrictions on maritime traffic along the country’s southern coastline near the Russian border after reports of a potential risk from stray drones.
The precaution follows several incidents this year in which Ukrainian military drones aimed at Russian targets reportedly entered the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, fueling concerns that the conflict in Ukraine could increasingly affect NATO’s northern frontier.
According to a Finnish military spokesperson, the measures were introduced to ensure authorities could respond safely if drones entered the area, allowing appropriate countermeasures while protecting civilians. The spokesperson declined to disclose the intelligence behind the potential drone threat, describing it as operationally sensitive information.
Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone strikes against Russian targets in recent months. Kyiv and NATO members maintain that Russian electronic warfare and signal jamming have caused some Ukrainian drones to veer off course into NATO airspace. Russia, however, alleges that Ukraine is deliberately directing drones across international borders.
