Finland’s military intelligence is raising alarms over the growing risk of drones drifting into its airspace amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Major General Pekka Turunen, head of Finnish Defence Intelligence, spoke ahead of Thursday’s release of an updated security report, which reviews threats to the Nordic nation along its 1,340-kilometre border with Russia.
One pressing concern is long-range drones, particularly near the Gulf of Finland. “The risk of a drone drifting into Finnish airspace or onto Finnish territory is growing, the more Ukraine targets sites in this region,” Turunen said. He explained that Russian GPS jamming aimed at disrupting Ukrainian strikes could inadvertently divert drones off course, potentially sending them into Finland. So far, no such incidents have occurred.
Finland’s security environment has remained largely steady compared to last year, despite the broader instability caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The country’s decision to join NATO in April 2023 marked a historic shift from decades of military non-alignment, but Turunen noted that the military threat itself has not increased.
He also flagged the political context, suggesting that moves like former US President Donald Trump’s Greenland controversy may have emboldened Russia. “Russia may see the West, NATO, and Europe as distracted or in disarray, giving them more freedom to act,” Turunen said. The intelligence assessment underscores Finland’s vigilance as global conflicts and regional tensions continue to influence security in the Nordic region.
