Finland reviews whether public alerts were needed for drone incidents, says prime minister

Finland’s government is assessing whether authorities should have issued public warnings after several drones entered Finnish airspace in recent days, prime minister Petteri Orpo told national broadcaster Yle on Tuesday.

Speaking ahead of an interview on Yle’s A-studio programme, Orpo said officials were examining whether “there was a need for civilian communication” when the drones were detected. “In my view, it’s good that we’re reviewing this,” he stated, adding that key agencies had already improved preparedness for future incidents.

Authorities are also evaluating whether procurement and response processes for countering drone threats can be accelerated. “We’re looking at whether we can bring forward certain acquisitions,” Orpo said, while stressing that Finland currently has “sufficient capacity” to handle such risks.

The prime minister confirmed he had met with senior officials to discuss the incidents, which included drones found in areas like Parikkala and Pyhäjärvi. While he expressed hope that the recent cases would remain exceptional, he acknowledged that Finland must be ready for similar events.

Yle’s A-studio interview with Orpo will air on Yle TV1 and Yle Areena at 21:00 local time.