Wildfires at Russian ports degrade air quality in southeastern Finland

Air quality in parts of southeastern Finland has deteriorated to very poor levels due to smoke from port fires in Russia and long-range particle pollution, according to measurements reported by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The air quality index at the Teppana measurement station in Imatra, located about three kilometres from the Russian border, reached 151 between 7 AM and 10 AM local time on Wednesday. Readings between 151 and 251 are classified as very poor. By midday, the index had dropped to 90, indicating moderate air quality, while Lappeenranta’s Pulp district briefly recorded levels above 120 earlier in the morning.

Karri Saarnio, a senior researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, attributed the elevated pollution levels to two factors: ongoing fires at Russian ports and fine particulate matter carried from Central Europe. Ukraine has struck oil terminals near St. Petersburg and the port of Vyborg this week, though it remains unclear whether the particles detected in Finland originated from the Koivisto or Laukaansuu ports—both targeted in recent attacks.

Koivisto port lies 95 kilometres northeast of Imatra, while Vyborg is 40 kilometres southeast. Laukaansuu is located near the Estonian border on the opposite side of the Gulf of Finland.

Saarnio warned that very poor air quality could irritate sensitive groups, particularly those with respiratory conditions, advising them to stay indoors. Meteorologists are working to forecast how air quality may evolve in the coming days, though no clear outlook has yet been established.