Finland confirms restrictions on air and sea traffic due to Ukrainian attack near St. Petersburg
Finland restricted air and maritime traffic in the Gulf of Finland for about four hours on July 4 following a Ukrainian drone attack on targets near St. Petersburg, the defence minister said.
Finland's Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen has confirmed that the restrictions on air and maritime traffic in the eastern Gulf of Finland on the morning of July 4 were linked to a Ukrainian drone attack on targets inside Russia. The restrictions lasted from 5:18 a.m. to 9:18 a.m. local time (same as Kyiv time). Häkkänen said the measures were precautionary and that the situation was not considered serious enough to issue air-raid warnings for residents along the Gulf of Finland coast. The Finnish military recorded no violations of the country's airspace. Häkkänen noted that Finland was prepared to counter the drones with fighter jets, helicopters and naval equipment if they had strayed off course, but they did not. He added that such precautionary measures may become more frequent, as Ukraine is likely to continue successful strikes on Russia. This was the second time this week that Finland imposed such restrictions: similar measures were taken early on July 2. Earlier, Russian authorities claimed that drones had attacked Moscow and St. Petersburg on the night of July 3-4. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said the targets near St. Petersburg were port oil infrastructure used to finance Russia's war in Ukraine and the Kronstadt military base.
