HELSINKI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Two drones entered Finnish airspace and crashed near the town of Kouvola in southeastern Finland on Sunday morning, the country's Ministry of Defense said. No injuries were reported.
The drones came down in separate locations near Kouvola, with one landing north of the town and the other to the east. Police have cordoned off both crash sites as investigations continue.
Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornets were airborne in the area at the time. However, the Ministry of Defense clarified that the aircraft were conducting a reconnaissance mission. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo later confirmed that no force had been used against the drones.
Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said the authorities are treating the incident with utmost seriousness. "The investigation is ongoing, and more information will be provided once it has been confirmed," he said.
Public broadcaster Yle reported that a local resident alerted police at 10:04 a.m. after noticing an object falling into a nearby forest.
In a separate statement, police said they were "working to determine the origin of the flying objects."
In a radio interview, Orpo suggested that the drones were likely Ukrainian. He noted that Russia frequently engages in electronic interference against drones, which may have caused drones to veer off course into Finnish territory. He also emphasized the need for Finland to strengthen its preparedness to counter drone-related incidents.
Ukraine has recently targeted Russian sites at the Russian end of the Gulf of Finland. A major fire broke out at Russia's Ust-Luga port on Sunday following a wave of drone attacks over the past week, Russian media reported. ■