Several low-flying objects were observed in Finnish airspace on Sunday morning, the Ministry of Defence in Helsinki announced.
"Drones have strayed into Finnish territory. We are taking the matter very seriously. The security authorities have reacted immediately," said Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen in a statement.
"Electronic interference"
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told Yle that the drones are likely Ukrainian, but he wants to await the investigation.
"It is clear that Ukraine, which is defending itself against Russia's war of aggression, has carried out attacks in our neighboring areas over the past week. It has already been noticed that it is having consequences," he said in the television broadcast, according to Hufvudstadsbladet.
"Russia has very strong electronic interference, and that could explain why drones are also straying into Finnish airspace. It is very serious."
One drone was reported to have fallen to the ground north of the city of Kouvola and another east of Kouvola, which is about ten miles northeast of Helsinki. They were not shot down, Orpo emphasized in the television broadcast.
Attacks on the Gulf of Finland
According to Defence Minister Häkkänen, the incidents are being investigated and more information will be released when confirmed. Earlier on Sunday Yle reported that an Air Force fighter jet had flown over southeastern Finland.
On Friday, the Finnish Armed Forces announced that they were increasing drone surveillance at Finland's eastern border after Ukrainian attacks on Russian targets in the Gulf of Finland. Most recently, on Sunday, the Russian port of Ust-Luga on the other side of the Gulf, near Estonia, was reported to have been attacked.
This week, drones have also crashed in Estonia and Latvia. In both cases, they were Ukrainian drones, according to authorities in the respective countries.
