Finland has temporarily closed part of the Gulf of Finland due to the war between Ukraine and Russia
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.
According to the Finnish military, the restrictions were in effect from 5:18 a.m. to 9:18 a.m. local time and applied to flights and the presence of vessels in the designated area.
The Finnish Defense Forces explained that the decision was made as a precautionary measure to ensure the functioning of government agencies and the safety of civilians.
According to Finnish media reports, the temporary restrictions were related to Russia’s war against Ukraine, specifically to the overflight of Ukrainian drones.
It is reported that during this period, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck port oil infrastructure in St. Petersburg, after which security measures were stepped up in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland.
This is stated in a report by the Finnish Defense Forces.
As a reminder, Finland will allocate an additional 40 million euros to support Ukraine as part of the international PURL initiative. According to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, these funds will be directed primarily toward strengthening air defense and protecting Ukrainians from Russian missile attacks.
Finland, in cooperation with NATO, is actively building up its own defense capabilities in response to Russia’s expansion of military bases and infrastructure in neighboring regions. This was stated by Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hykkänen.
