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Russian Electronic Warfare Sends Ukrainian Drone Into Finnish Airspace, Kyiv Apologizes
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A Ukrainian drone that entered Finnish airspace on March 29 was most likely diverted off course by Russian electronic warfare systems, prompting Kyiv to issue an apology and launch a joint investigation with Finland.
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According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, the drone was not intentionally directed toward Finland. Ukrainian officials stated they are in ongoing communication with Finnish authorities and have shared all necessary data to clarify the circumstances of the incident.
“We can state with certainty that no Ukrainian drones were directed toward Finland. The most likely cause is deviation due to Russian electronic warfare systems,” Tykhyi said. He also confirmed that Ukraine had apologized to Finland for the incident.
According to Tykhyi added that both Kyiv and Helsinki view the incident within the broader context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. “We have already apologized to the Finnish side for this incident. We share the understanding with our Finnish friends that the cause of both this incident and broader security challenges in the region is Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” he said.
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Finnish authorities reported that multiple unidentified aerial objects entered the country’s airspace on the morning of March 29. According to the Finnish Air Force, fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the objects but did not engage to avoid potential damage on the ground.
Two drones crashed near the city of Kouvola, approximately 50 kilometers from the Russian border, while another fell near Espoo. Police confirmed that no injuries were reported, and the crash sites were secured for investigation.
According to Finnish officials, at least one of the drones was visually identified as a Ukrainian long-range strike UAV, likely the An-196 “Liutyi.” Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated that the drones were likely Ukrainian and linked the incident to ongoing strikes targeting Russian infrastructure near the Finnish border.
The incident occurred amid a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia’s Ust-Luga oil terminal in the Leningrad region, located roughly 160 kilometers southeast of Kouvola. According to Ukrainian reports, these strikes were carried out multiple times during the week, potentially increasing the risk of navigation disruption due to Russian electronic warfare activity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed the situation with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, noting that both sides share the same understanding of the incident and that Ukraine is providing all necessary information.
Similar cases have been reported in recent days. During strikes on Russian ports on March 25, several Ukrainian drones reportedly lost course and entered the airspace of Baltic states, with crashes recorded in Latvia and Estonia.
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