The defence forces avoid intercepting drones if there’s a risk that munitions could end up in Russian territory.
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Image: Ruuti Kotkanoja / Yle, Mapcreator, OpenStreetMap
Finland did not attempt to intercept drones spotted near Virolahti on Sunday, because they were too close to the Russian border, the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) told Yle.
“In peacetime, drones cannot be intercepted at the border or within another state’s airspace,” a defence forces spokesperson said.
The FDF has previously said drones are not intercepted before they have been reliably identified and confirmed. At the same time, interceptions are avoided if there is a risk that munitions could reach Russian territory.
After Sunday’s incident, Finland established a temporary no-fly zone over the eastern Gulf of Finland, off the coast of Kotka and Hamina.
Headed towards Russian airspace
It now appears that Sunday’s drones entered Finland from the south and flew toward the eastern Gulf of Finland.
“The drones observed in Finnish airspace did not head inland. Instead, they continued for some distance parallel to the border before turning east and exiting Finnish airspace,” the FDF said.
Ukraine on Sunday carried out a drone strike on the oil port of Koivisto, or Primorsk. Four drones believed to be Ukrainian have recently ended up on Finnish territory.