- WIADOMOŚCI
Fallen drone mystery
During Ukraine’s attacks on Russian ports in St. Petersburg, several drones crashed on Finnish territory. These were shorter-range unmanned aerial vehicles, and it remains uncertain whether they could have been launched from Ukraine.
The drones fell in various locations across southeastern Finland between late March and early April. The models differ from those previously reported by the Air Force and government officials. The National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) emphasised in its statement that the drones were significantly smaller in size, and each was equipped with an explosive charge.
Initially, the Finnish Air Force reported that the first recovered wreckage was that of a Ukrainian AN-196 — a UAV roughly the size of a small aircraft, with a wingspan of 6.7 meters and a range of 1,000–2,000 kilometers. New information, however, contradicts those reports. The drones are smaller, with an estimated range of about 700 kilometers. According to Col. Jyri Kosola, head of the research division at the Finnish Defence Forces Headquarters, these unmanned aircraft could not have reached Finland from Ukraine.
There is a possibility that some of the drones were smuggled by Ukrainians into Russian or Belarusian territory, according to an expert who submitted a report on the drone incidents to the Finnish Armed Forces. The expert considers it unlikely that the drones were launched from the sea or from the territory of any country supporting Ukraine.
During the attacks on Russian ports and terminals in the Baltic region, numerous drones crashed within neighboring countries. Russia accused the Baltic states of allowing their territories to be used for such attacks. The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania denied these allegations, stating that they had not granted Ukraine permission to use their airspace.
