Finland says Russian aircraft may have violated its airspace

Finland's Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen said in a statement that a possible airspace violation occurred on Thursday, August 20, in the western part of the Gulf of Finland. According to the ministry, a Russian aircraft may have been involved, though the statement did not specify what type of aircraft it was.

Häkkänen stressed that every suspected airspace violation is treated seriously and that an investigation into the incident is ongoing. Finland's Border Guard is handling the inquiry and has said it will release further details as the investigation progresses.

Previous incidents

This is not the first such episode in Finnish airspace this year. In late May, Finland's armed forces reported that a Russian military aircraft may have entered the country's airspace while trying to avoid a thunderstorm over the Gulf of Finland. An investigation concluded in early June confirmed that a Russian military transport aircraft had indeed violated Finnish airspace in that case.