Finland has restricted air and maritime traffic due to the threat posed by drones
On July 28, the Finnish Armed Forces imposed temporary restrictions on the use of airspace and maritime areas off the coast of Kotka and the city of Hamina in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. The reason was the threat of drones entering the country’s territory.
According to the publication, the restrictions on airspace took effect after 8:00 a.m., and shortly thereafter, part of the maritime area was also closed. The restricted zone borders the Kaunissaari area to the west and the port of Hamina to the north.
The General Staff of the Finnish Armed Forces explained that these measures are precautionary and related to attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian territory.
According to military officials, the closure of air and maritime space is necessary to ensure that, if needed, drones that might accidentally enter Finnish territory can be safely neutralized.
As Yle notes, similar restrictions have been imposed before. They were last introduced on July 17 in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, also due to the risk of drones straying into Finnish territory during Ukrainian strikes on targets in Russia.
This was reported by Yle.
As a reminder, Finland has restricted shipping in the Gulf of Finland due to the Russian threat.
On the morning of July 4, the Finnish Armed Forces temporarily restricted air and maritime traffic in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. These measures were implemented for security reasons.
