Finland’s prime minister said on Tuesday, March 31st that the country would consider upping the pace of the development of its drone defence after two stray drones crashed in southeastern Finland.
The two UAVs fell to earth Kouvola and Luumaki, in southeastern Finland, on Sunday.
Finnish authorities confirmed that one of the drones was Ukrainian, while the other is also believed to have originated from Ukraine. One of the devices was found carrying an unexploded warhead, which was later safely destroyed in a controlled blast by security forces.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the government is now reviewing whether existing plans to strengthen UAV defence and countermeasures should be implemented more quickly, telling a Tuesday press conference
We are now assessing whether it is possible and necessary to implement some of these plans on an accelerated timeline.
Ukraine issued an apology to Finland, suggesting the drones may have been diverted from their intended course due to Russian interference. Finnish officials emphasized there is no indication the drones were deliberately directed at Finland. “Finland is not facing a military threat,” Orpo stressed.
Finland’s Defence Forces and Border Guard had already increased surveillance and preparedness in recent weeks following intensified Ukrainian strikes on Russian port facilities in the Gulf of Finland.
