Ukraine said on Monday it had apologised to Finland after two Ukrainian drones crashed in southern Finland over the weekend, adding that they were likely knocked off course by Russian electronic interference.
According to Ukrainian officials, the drones were not intended to enter Finnish territory and may have been diverted by electronic warfare systems deployed by Russia.
“Under no circumstances were any Ukrainian drones directed toward Finland. The most likely cause is interference from Russian electronic warfare systems. We have already apologised to the Finnish side for this incident,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy told reporters.
The incident occurred amid ongoing hostilities between Ukraine and Russia, with both sides increasingly deploying drones in attacks targeting strategic infrastructure. Moscow has launched hundreds of drones at Ukraine in nightly barrages, while Kyiv has responded with strikes on Russian energy and military facilities.
Last week, Ukrainian forces struck port facilities along the Russian coast in the Gulf of Finland, close to Russia’s border with Finland, which is a member of both North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later confirmed that he had discussed the incident with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
“Alex and I see the situation in the same way. We are sharing all necessary information,” Zelensky said.
The Finnish Ministry of Defence said it deployed an F/A-18 Hornet on an identification mission on Sunday after the drones entered Finnish airspace.
According to the ministry, one drone fell to the ground north of Kouvola, while another landed east of the same city in southern Finland.
Authorities said investigations into the incident are ongoing, as officials from both countries continue to exchange information regarding the circumstances that led to the drones crossing into Finnish territory.
