Finland raised suspicions that a military reconnaissance aircraft had entered its airspace during diplomatic contacts with Russia. The Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador to Helsinki on Friday and requested an explanation about the incident.
Finnish border authorities said the incident took place west of the Gulf of Finland on Thursday afternoon and lasted approximately three minutes.
Suspected flight under investigation
The aircraft suspected of entering Finnish airspace was identified as an Ilyushin Il-20. Authorities said the aircraft traveled up to 9 kilometers into Finnish airspace before leaving the area.
The Finnish Border Guard launched an investigation into the incident. Russia’s Embassy in Helsinki did not immediately respond to the request for an explanation delivered by phone and email.