"Finland has stood down its defence forces after sounding an alarm over suspected drone activities in its airspace. The authorities said on Friday that suspected drone activity above the Helsinki region no longer posed a threat and that the situation was returning to normal hours after launching an emergency response, including the launch of fighter jets and closure of the capital's airport."
"The Helsinki City Rescue Department had warned the nearly 2 million inhabitants of Finland's Uusimaa region to stay indoors starting about 4am local time (1:00 GMT), as fighter jets were scrambled. Helsinki's airport was also closed for about three hours. Later, President Alexander Stubb wrote on X that authorities had demonstrated their readiness and capacity to react, adding that the country was now facing no direct military threat."
"Kimmo Kohvakka, director general for rescue services at the Ministry of the Interior, called the response a precautionary measure and said daily life can continue. The incident arose amid growing concerns about regional spillover from the Ukraine war. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have reported a series of suspected Ukrainian drones headed for Russia entering their airspace, prompting domestic criticism over their ability to respond to military threats."
"The situation has led to a full-blown government crisis in Latvia. Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned on Thursday after a coalition partner pulled support. The move followed the ousting of the defence minister after a drone crashed at a fuel storage facility. In March, two drones crossed into Finnish territory and crashed after flying low"
Finland sounded an alarm over suspected drone activity in its airspace above the Helsinki region and launched an emergency response. Fighter jets were scrambled and the capital’s airport was closed for about three hours. Residents in the Uusimaa region were warned to stay indoors starting around 4am local time. Authorities later said the suspected drone activity no longer posed a threat and that conditions were returning to normal. The defence chief said the alarm was false but warned that similar events could happen again while Russia’s war on Ukraine continues. The response was described as precautionary, with daily life able to continue. The incident reflects regional tension and concerns about spillover from the Ukraine war, including drone and missile attacks affecting Baltic states.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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