Ukraine said it did not direct any drones toward Finland after two unmanned aircraft crashed in Finland, attributing the incident to likely interference by Russian electronic warfare systems.
“We are in communication with our Finnish friends regarding this incident. Ukraine is already sharing all necessary information to clarify all circumstances,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi told journalists on Monday.
“We can state clearly that in no case were any Ukrainian drones directed toward Finland. The most likely cause is deviation due to Russian electronic warfare systems,” he said.
Tykhyi added that Ukraine had apologized to Finland and said both sides share the view that “the root cause of this incident, as well as broader security challenges in our region, is Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”
Two drones crashed in southeastern Finland near the Russian border on Sunday morning, March 29, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle, citing the country’s defense ministry.
The Finnish Air Force identified one of the objects as a Ukrainian-made AN196 drone flying south of Kouvola, about 40-50 kilometers (25-31 miles) from the Russian border, but did not open fire.
Low-flying, slow-moving aerial objects were detected over Finnish airspace before one drone fell north of Kouvola and another to the east of the city.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Russian electronic interference may have been a factor, adding that authorities were investigating.
Finland’s defense ministry described the incident as a suspected territorial violation. Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said unmanned drones had strayed into Finnish territory and that an investigation was ongoing.
The incident came hours after a drone strike caused a fire at Russia’s Baltic port of Ust-Luga, a major export hub. The strike was later confirmed by Ukraine’s Security Service