2 drones crash in southeastern Finland

The first incident took place at 10:04 a.m. when a flying device that had fallen in the terrain north of Kouvola in Kymenlaakso. Later, at 12:27 p.m., a second device was reported to have fallen in Luumäki, South Karelia. The Southeast Finland Police Department has cordoned off the affected areas and carried out necessary evacuations. “Fortunately, the sites are sparsely populated. Technical investigations cannot yet be conducted because safety at the scene must be ensured first,” said Deputy Police Chief Pekka Koistinen, who is leading the operation. The National Bureau of Investigation (KRP), the Finnish Defence Forces and other authorities opened a preliminary investigation into the incidents, initially classifying them as aggravated endangerment of the public. Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornets were airborne in the area at the time. However, the Ministry of Defense clarified that the aircraft were conducting a reconnaissance mission. The Border Guard is handling a parallel investigation into a possible territorial violation. Both the Defence Forces and the Border Guard are supporting the police with their specialized capabilities. “The investigation is still in its early stages. At this point, we are conducting technical examinations as far as possible. While the case is currently being treated as aggravated endangerment of the public, the classification may change as the investigation progresses, said Chief Inspector Olli Töyräs, lead investigator of KRP. “Our main priority is to determine the origin of the flying devices and why they ended up in Finnish territory. We are working closely with the Border Guard and international partners to get a full understanding of the situation,” said Robin Lardot, head of the National Bureau of Investigation. Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen said that the government took the incidents very seriously. Drones have strayed into Finnish territory. We take this very seriously. Security authorities have responded immediately. The investigation will continue and more detailed information will be provided once the facts are confirmed, he said in the press release issued by the ministry. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo confirmed that no force had been used against the drones, reported news agency Xinhua. In a radio interview, Orpo suggested that the drones were likely Ukrainian. He noted that Russia frequently engages in electronic interference against drones, which may have caused drones to veer off course into Finnish territory. He also emphasized the need for Finland to strengthen its preparedness to counter drone-related incidents. Ukraine has recently targeted Russian sites at the Russian end of the Gulf of Finland. Earlier, theFinnish Defence Forces intensified surveillance measures to ensure territorial integrity when Ukraine carried out attacks against Russian targets in the eastern Gulf of Finland.