Finnish authorities confirmed on Friday that no drones were detected in the country's airspace following an early-morning emergency alert that prompted the scrambling of fighter jets and a temporary suspension of air traffic at Helsinki Airport.
Joint Press Conference Addresses Drone Alert
Commander of the Finnish Air Force Timo Herranen, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, and Lieutenant General Kari Nisula, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, held a joint press conference in Helsinki to address the potential drone threat reported in the southern Uusimaa region earlier that day.
Details of the Incident
Safety authorities issued an alert for the Uusimaa region, which includes Helsinki and is home to approximately 1.8 million residents. The public was advised to stay indoors due to reports of possible stray drones linked to Ukrainian operations in the early hours of Friday.
Lieutenant General Nisula explained that the Finnish defense forces had received information about drones that might be straying into Finland. These drones were reportedly connected to Ukraine's defensive operations against the Russian invasion. However, he emphasized that there were no observations or information indicating that any drones had entered Finnish territory. “There was no violation of our airspace... The drones weren’t heading this way,” added Air Force Commander Timo Herranen.
Response Measures
As a precautionary measure, Finnish fighter jets were scrambled, and air traffic at Helsinki Airport was suspended from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM local time (0100 to 0400 GMT). The airport later resumed operations but warned of potential delays and cancellations throughout the day.
Nisula did not disclose how Finland received the information about the drones, stating only that “we have several different methods and channels.”
Background of Stray Drones
Since late March, several Ukrainian drones have strayed into Finland and crashed. These incidents have sparked debates about Finland's ability to respond to drone threats and warn its population, accelerating investments in drone defense capabilities. The Finnish government has been in contact with Ukraine regarding these occurrences.
Prime Minister Orpo reiterated that it was “not acceptable” for Ukrainian drones to cross into Finnish territory but warned that such incidents could “continue to stray” into the country. He stressed that there is “no direct military threat against Finland” and that the drones were not “intentionally headed for Finland.”
Impact on Air Travel
Helsinki Airport issued a statement confirming that flights were operating again, but disruptions would cause delays and cancellations on Friday, May 15. Morning delays were also expected to affect departing and arriving flights later in the afternoon.
