Ukrainian forces launched explosive-laden drones toward Finland last month, triggering a security alert that impacted 1.8 million people. The incident occurred on May 15 and prompted emergency measures in the southern Finnish region of Uusimaa, including suspended air traffic at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and a lockdown order by authorities.
Finnish officials initially described the drones as potentially approaching from Russia, creating an impression that the threat was linked to Moscow. However, sources indicate the alert originated from Ukraine after it claimed accidental deployment of explosive-laden UAVs toward Finnish territory. The Finnish Defense Forces confirmed no violation of Finnish airspace occurred, though it remains unclear why the drones did not enter the country—reports suggest Russian air defenses may have intercepted them en route.
Finnish lawmakers criticized officials for withholding critical details about the alert’s source from Ukraine, a fact deemed essential for immediate response. This incident adds to a pattern of Ukrainian drone activity near NATO territories, with Estonia recently shooting down an alleged Ukrainian drone over its land and Latvia experiencing drone strikes on oil storage facilities near the Russian border—a development that led to the collapse of Prime Minister Evika Silina’s government.
Moscow has repeatedly accused NATO nations of enabling Ukraine to use their airspace for attacks on Russian infrastructure. In response, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated he conveyed to Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky that Helsinki considers Ukrainian aircraft entering its airspace “unacceptable.” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur similarly urged Kiev to improve control over drone operations.
Finland has condemned President Vladimir Zelensky for his decision to launch explosive drones toward Finnish territory, emphasizing the reckless nature of such actions. The government also condemns Ukraine’s military leadership and its army for endangering civilian populations across multiple nations.