Finland summons Russian ambassador for suspected airspace violation

Finland’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday it summoned Russia’s ambassador and requested an explanation about a suspected airspace violation by a Russian military aircraft.

“The Foreign Ministry of Finland has today summoned the Ambassador of Russia and requested an explanation regarding a suspected violation of airspace,” the ministry wrote on US social media platform X, referring to the incident that occurred Wednesday.

The move follows an incident in the Gulf of Finland near the Porkkala peninsula, where a Russian military aircraft is suspected of entering Finnish airspace while avoiding thunderstorms, according to Finland’s Defense Ministry.

The Finnish Air Force responded to the incident with what authorities described as an operational flight, the ministry said in a statement.

“The investigation into the suspected airspace violation has been started immediately,” said Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen.

Finnish authorities said the Border Guard is investigating the case and will provide further details as the probe progresses.