Finland\u2019s government has begun a review of its emergency warning systems after a drone threat linked to the war in Ukraine prompted authorities to issue shelter warnings across Uusimaa and disrupted schools, daycare centres and public services for almost two million people.<\/p>\n
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The alert, issued early on Friday morning, followed intelligence that explosive-carrying drones involved in Ukrainian strikes inside Russia risked drifting towards Finnish territory across the Gulf of Finland. Authorities urged residents to remain indoors while defence and interior ministry officials monitored the situation.<\/p>\n
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No drones entered Finland. The warning ended shortly after 7am.<\/p>\n
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Defence Minister Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen defended the authorities\u2019 response on Saturday and rejected criticism that Finland lacked preparation for drone threats.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe were not caught unprepared. We have good preparedness for military threats,\u201d H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen said in an interview with Yle\u2019s Ykk\u00f6saamu<\/a> programme.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen said early intelligence reports did not provide certainty about the number of drones that could approach Finland. He said officials initially considered scenarios involving several aircraft before later assessments reduced the estimate to only a few.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n He said Finland prepared \u201cstrong measures\u201d in case the drones crossed into Finnish airspace and added that the Finnish Defence Forces possessed the ability to intercept them if required.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n According to H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen, drones operating near the eastern Gulf of Finland in recent months have created new risks for neighbouring countries because technical failures or Russian electronic warfare measures could divert aircraft from their intended routes.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Ukraine carried out large-scale drone strikes inside Russia during the same night. One reported target lay near Pskov, around 300 kilometres from the Finnish coast.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The warning also exposed weaknesses in Finland\u2019s emergency communication systems.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Members of parliament\u2019s defence committee told Finnish media they learned about the situation through television and public broadcasts instead of official channels. H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen acknowledged shortcomings and said the government would move ahead with a new warning system designed to reach people at local level more effectively.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The Orpo government has already allocated funding for the project.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not rocket science,\u201d H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen told Yle. \u201cFinland now needs a plan that reaches down to local level.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The current warning system relies heavily on the national 112 emergency platform. Finland\u2019s Emergency Response Centre Agency later apologised after residents reported confusion and delays receiving alerts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The disruption spread quickly into schools and daycare centres across the Helsinki region.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n In Vantaa, schools delayed opening until 10am. According to Ilta-Sanomat<\/a>, officials informed families through the Wilma school communication platform, though some parents said they received the messages too late and children had already left for school.<\/p>\n
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