Finland summons Russian representative over airspace violation
The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially called in the temporary chargé d'affaires of Russia for an explanation regarding the incident involving the breach of Finnish airspace. According to the Finnish authorities, the meeting with the Russian diplomatic representative is scheduled for June 11. The details of this meeting are currently confidential, but it is known that its purpose is to gather more information about the circumstances of the incident and to call on Moscow to adhere to international air safety regulations. According to the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' press service, the temporary chargé d'affaires of Russia is serving as the deputy ambassador and is the closest representative of the Russian diplomatic corps in the absence of the ambassador. This is standard diplomatic practice used for formal responses to diplomatic issues and potential conflict situations. The incident occurred the day before: on Tuesday, June 10, in the afternoon, near the coastline of Pori, a Russian military aircraft apparently violated Finnish airspace. According to Finnish Border Guard data, this aircraft entered Finland’s sovereignty over a maritime zone located near the coast. As a result of this breach, Finland has launched an investigation and is taking all necessary measures to clarify the circumstances. This is not the first such incident in the region. Finland has repeatedly stated its readiness to respond decisively to any attempts to violate its borders. In the past, the country openly expressed concern over increased military flights by Russia, which, according to Finnish officials, exacerbates tensions in the Baltic region and complicates the security situation for neighboring countries. Let us recall that at the end of May, Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs already summoned the Russian ambassador for explanations regarding a similar incident—namely, the violation of Finnish airspace by Russian aircraft on May 23. Finland’s Minister of Defense, Antti Kaikkonen, made a sharp comment on the rising military activity of Russia in the Baltic Sea, which, in his opinion, leads to increased regional tensions and makes it more difficult to maintain stability in this part of Europe. These events indicate growing tension in the border and strategically important zones of Northern Europe, as well as increasing threats of accidental or deliberate violations of sovereignty. Experts emphasize that, in the current circumstances, a high level of diplomatic response by Finland is an important signal of its intention to defend its borders and sovereignty, as well as to maintain security in the region. Overall, the situation remains tense, and further diplomatic dialogue is necessary to prevent escalation and preserve stability in the Baltic Sea and the northern regions of Europe.