Finnish police said an unmanned aircraft found on the ice of Lake Pyhäjärvi near the eastern border carries a suspected warhead and will be destroyed as a safety measure, while new information points to a Ukrainian origin, according to public broadcaster Yle.
Authorities in eastern Finland continued operations on Wednesday at the site where a foreign unmanned aircraft was discovered on lake ice in Parikkala, close to the Russian border. Police stated that the device poses a potential risk and will be neutralised through a controlled explosion.
Police warned residents that a “brief loud sound” may occur during the operation. Officials said the action will not pose a danger to nearby residents.
Yle reported, citing information from authorities, that the drone is believed to originate from Ukraine and to contain explosives. Police have not confirmed the origin but acknowledged the aircraft is foreign.
The National Bureau of Investigation has opened a criminal inquiry into the incident. The Border Guard is conducting a separate investigation into a suspected airspace violation.
The drone was first detected on Tuesday morning by Border Guard patrols on the frozen surface of Lake Pyhäjärvi, which spans Finland and Russia. The site lies in a sparsely populated area with seasonal cottages.
Authorities sealed off the area soon after the discovery. Police ordered evacuations within the restricted zone, affecting more than ten people. Residents have not yet returned to their properties.
“We went through cottages last night. Over ten people had to leave the area,” Lankinen told Yle. “We will inform them when they can return.”
A temporary no-fly zone has been imposed over the site to secure the investigation. Police and Border Guard units remain on location, and access roads are closed.
Officials have begun efforts to determine the aircraft’s type, origin and flight path. Details remain limited. Authorities do not know how long the drone was in Finnish airspace or the direction from which it arrived.
The case follows two earlier incidents on Sunday, when unmanned aircraft entered Finnish territory and crashed in Kouvola and Luumäki. Finnish authorities confirmed that at least one of those drones was Ukrainian.
The Kouvola device was destroyed in a controlled explosion after officials identified an unexploded warhead. Debris has since been recovered for technical analysis.
Ukraine has issued an apology for the earlier incidents, stating that two drones had strayed into Finnish territory.
Authorities have not confirmed any link between the earlier crashes and the Parikkala discovery.
HT