Finland Summons Russian Ambassador Over Suspected Airspace Violation

Dragon Media News Desk

Finland has summoned Russian Ambassador Pavel Kuznetsov to seek an explanation over a suspected violation of Finnish airspace by a Russian military aircraft.

The Finnish Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the ambassador had been called in over the alleged incident.

“The Foreign Ministry of Finland has today summoned the Ambassador of Russia and requested an explanation regarding a suspected violation of airspace,” the ministry said in a statement on X.

Finnish public broadcaster Yle, citing the Finnish Border Guard, reported that a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 military aircraft was suspected of entering Finnish airspace on Thursday.

Finnish authorities have so far described the incident as a suspected airspace violation, with the matter under further investigation.

There was no immediate detailed public response from Russia regarding the specific incident.

The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly maintained that all flights by Russian military aircraft are conducted in strict compliance with international rules governing the use of airspace.

Finland shares a long land border with Russia. Security sensitivities between the two countries have increased since Finland joined NATO in 2023.