Finland imposes restrictions over drone risk for 3rd day in row

Finland on early Sunday night imposed temporary restrictions on maritime traffic and aviation in the eastern Gulf of Finland for third consecutive day sensing possible drone threat, said Finnish Defence Forces.

The authority imposed the restrictions on maritime traffic at 2:45 a.m. and on aviation at 2:46 and lifted the restrictions at 9:43 a.m., said the Defence Forces in separate posts on its social media platform X.

The restrictions were imposed as a precautionary measure to ensure authorities´ smooth operation and the safety of civilians for countering potential drones, said the Defence Forces.

No drone, however, was found in the country.

Earlier on Friday and Saturday mornings the authority also imposed temporary restrictions on maritime traffic and aviation in the eastern Gulf of Finland sensing possible drone threat.

On August 14, similar restrictions were imposed on maritime traffic and aviation in the eastern Gulf of Finland.

On August 4, Finland imposed restrictions on aviation and maritime traffic for about two hours.

On July 24, Finland imposed a temporarily restrictions on aviation and maritime traffic for about four hours.

On July 4, Finland imposed a temporarily restrictions on aviation and maritime traffic for four hours sensing possible drone threat.

On May 15, 2026, Finnish Defence Forces issued an emergency warning about a potential drone sighting in Uusimaa region.

Earlier two drones that were suspected of violating Finnish airspace over Eastern Finland on May 3 were most likely Ukrainian origin, said Finnish Coast Guard.

Two drones were suspected of violating Finnish airspace in Hamina, a municipality in Eastern Finland on May 3.

Earlier on April 11, 2026, one drone was suspected territorial violation after it was found at Iitti, a municipality in Southern Finland.

Two drones crashed in Kouvola in southeastern Finland after entering into Finnish airspace in the morning on March 29.

One more Ukrainian drone was found in Finland on March 31, 2026.

The Ukrainian authorities apologised to Finland for the drones’ crashes.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said that the authorities do not completely exclude the possibility that, in addition to the unmanned aerial vehicles already found in Finland, several other such aircraft might have ended up in the country.

The Finnish Defence Forces intensified surveillance measures to ensure territorial integrity when Ukraine carried out attacks against Russian targets in the eastern Gulf of Finland.

On April 7, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha discussed the recent incidents of drones that have strayed into Finnish territory.