Finnish lawmakers have criticized officials for withholding key information about a UAV alert that affected 1.8 million people last month.
Ukraine launched drones carrying explosives towards Finland, triggering an alert that affected 1.8 million people, Helsingin Sanomat reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The incident occurred on May 15 and triggered a major security alert in the Uusimaa area in southern Finland, which includes the country’s capital, Helsinki. The warning halted air traffic at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and prompted a lockdown order by authorities.
Finnish officials did not initially disclose details of the alert, saying only that the drones could come from Russia, prompting the impression that the threat was linked to Moscow.
According to HS, however, the emergency measures were prompted by a warning from Ukraine, which it said had accidentally sent drones carrying explosives towards Finland.
The Finnish Defense Forces later said no violation of Finnish airspace had been detected. HS reported that it is still unclear why the planes did not enter the country, noting that Russian air defenses may have shot them down en route.
The report has drawn criticism from Finnish parliamentarians. Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee said they were not told that the warning came from Ukraine, which was important information that should have been released immediately.
The case adds to a growing list of incidents where Ukrainian drones have entered or approached foreign airspace while en route to targets in Russia. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland have all reported similar periods in recent months.
Last month, Estonia shot down an alleged Ukrainian jet on its territory for the first time, while Latvia saw Ukrainian drones hit oil storage facilities near the Russian border, leading to the collapse of Prime Minister Evika Silina’s government.
Moscow has repeatedly accused NATO countries of quietly allowing Ukraine to use their airspace for attacks in northwestern Russia, particularly energy infrastructure in the Leningrad Region. Russian officials have also warned that Kiev could launch provocations involving drones to draw NATO further into the conflict.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo previously said he told Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky that Helsinki was considering a Ukrainian plane entering its airspace. “unacceptable.” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has also asked Kiev to keep its drones away from Estonian territory and “Control their activities better.”
