Tue, 26 Aug, 2014 12:05:12 AM
Suspected violations of Finnish airspace
FTimes-STT Report, August 26
Defense Minister Carl Haglund. Photo – Lehtikuva.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday asked the Russian government for clarification on the suspected violations of the Finnish airspace, ministry sources said.
The latest violation place took near Porvoo on Monday at around 2:30 pm. Another violation by a suspected Russian state-owned aircraft west of Hanko Peninsula on Saturday evening.
The Finnish Border Guard are investigating the incidents and the Ministry of Defense has taken a position of not commenting on the issue while the investigations are ongoing.
The investigation is expected to come to a close in the next few days.
Earlier, Defence Minister Carl Haglund said that Finland will seek clarification from Russia, if any Russian state-owned aircraft is found to have violated Finnish airspace.
Kirsti Haimila, a specialist from the defence ministry, said the violation of Finnish airspace lasted for a few minutes.
Haimila did not comment on whether Finnish Hornet fighters reacted to the incident.
Minister of Defence Carl Haglund also did not interpret the latest incident as a provocation.
He said it is possible that severe thunders in the narrow airspace between Finland and Estonia led to the events.
Russia, through the news agency Ria Novosti, meanwhile has distanced itself from the incident that took place on Saturday.
