One of the drones that crashed in Finland has exploded, says expert

One of the two drones that entered Finnish airspace and crashed in the Kouvola region has exploded upon impact, according to a retired Finnish Defence Forces colonel and former research director, Jyri Kosola. The assessment is based on reports of a loud blast heard during the crash, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

Kosola, now a non-fiction author, told Yle’s morning programme that his sources and the sound of the explosion—identified by a professional—suggest the drone detonated. While authorities have not yet confirmed the explosion, Kosola speculated they may be awaiting verification before making a public statement.

The drones, which crossed into Finland on Sunday, included at least one identified as a Ukrainian AN-196 model—a long-range attack drone with a reported range of up to 1,200 kilometres. Kosola estimated such drones carry 50–75 kilograms of explosives, enough to cause severe destruction if they struck a building.

“That’s a large amount of TNT. If it hits a house, there wouldn’t be much left,” he said.

Mikko Hyppönen, research director at drone detection firm Sensor Fusion, supported the assessment, stating that the high-cost AN-196 drones likely carried explosive payloads. He described the drone as roughly half the size of a two-seater Cessna aircraft.

Finnish authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into the incident. A second drone, tracked by the Finnish Air Force, crashed near Oravala in Kouvola without exploding, leaving identifiable wreckage.