Russian aircraft reportedly violates Finnish airspace

A Russian state aircraft is suspected of violating Finnish airspace on the eastern border near Kesälahti and Parikkala on Wednesday morning, said the Ministry of Defence in a press release.

According to the ministry, the suspected violation occurred by an Mi-17 helicopter at about 10:40 a.m. and the aircraft flew about 4.5 kilometers into Finnish territory.

The Border Guard has started a preliminary investigation into the suspected violation.

The Mi-17 is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975, continuing in production as of 2021 at two factories, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russian service.

This is the second airspace violation by a Russian aircraft this year, reported national broadcaster Yle, quoting Defence ministry's communications chief, Kristian Vakkuri as saying.

Earlier on 8 April, a Russian state-owned passenger jet violated the Finnish airspace.