Finland temporarily restricted parts of its airspace and maritime area on Wednesday morning amid reports of increased drone activity in neighbouring countries, with the measures covering an eastern coastal section near the Russian border.
The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) introduced a temporary flight restriction zone at 2:09am on Wednesday, followed by a restriction covering the nearby sea area at 2:15am. The military announced the measures on social media platform X, explaining that they were intended to protect public safety and ensure authorities could respond to possible drone threats.
The restricted area stretched along the Gulf of Finland coastline, covering the coastal cities of Kotka and Hamina and extending towards the Russian border. Both restrictions were lifted at 7:20am, according to a subsequent announcement by the Defence Forces.
The decision came during a night of reported aerial activity and security alerts across the Baltic region. Latvia and Lithuania issued warnings overnight into Wednesday about a potential aerial threat, raising concerns about unidentified drones operating near or entering the airspace of neighbouring countries.
Lithuanian security officials reported that a drone had crossed from Belarusian airspace into Poland. Authorities later confirmed that an unidentified drone had also entered Lithuanian airspace.
The developments came alongside reports of a large-scale drone interception in northwestern Russia. Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko said in a post on Telegram that Russian air defence systems had shot down at least 140 drones overnight.
Although the Finnish restrictions were temporary, they highlighted the security concerns facing countries around the Baltic Sea as reports of drone activity continue to prompt precautionary measures. Finland’s decision was specifically aimed at maintaining public safety and allowing authorities to respond effectively to possible aerial threats.
