Both maritime and air traffic in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland were temporarily halted on Saturday, 18 July, in response to a possible drone threat.
Finland’s Defence Forces imposed restrictions on both maritime and air traffic in the area between 5:45 am and 9:00 am on Saturday.
Military authorities said the restrictions were introduced as a precaution to protect civilians and provide suitable conditions for any necessary drone interception operations. The Defence Forces stated that none of the drones entered Finnish airspace during the incident.
As part of the response, Finland’s traffic management agency, Fintraffic, temporarily suspended maritime traffic through shipping lanes near the southeastern city of Kotka. At the same time, the Defence Forces strengthened air defence capabilities in the area, while residents across southeastern Finland reported hearing fighter jets carrying out routine patrol flights.
The incident is the latest in a series of unidentified drone sightings in the region. In May, an unidentified drone was spotted near Finland’s border with Russia, becoming the fifth such case reported by local media in recent months.