Finnish police investigate over a hundred suspicious drone flights since Ukraine war

Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, Finnish police have reported over a hundred suspicious drone flights, all under investigation. In some instances, preliminary investigations have begun. Robin Lardot, head of the National Bureau of Investigation (KRP), has refrained from disclosing how many investigations are related to these suspicious drone occurrences.

So far, Finnish media has reported only a few instances of drone flights near critical areas that have prompted police investigations. “We have been collecting information on drone sightings. Currently, we are aware of more than a hundred cases where drones have been flown in restricted airspace or close to critical sites,” Lardot told Yle.

He explained that restricted airspace typically indicates the presence of critical infrastructure. When asked if this means the police are investigating over a hundred such drone incidents, Lardot confirmed, “We have that much information. Everything is somewhat interconnected; we will look into these cases and link them to other incidents if necessary.”

Lardot noted that there have been no indications of state-sponsored involvement in the cases under investigation so far. “Many of these inquiries and investigations are ongoing. Given this context, it is not yet prudent to draw conclusions,” he added, stating that there is no evidence suggesting state actors are behind the identified drone cases.

Determining whether a state entity is linked to a drone flight near a critical site is a challenging task. “This is part of the police’s standard procedures, especially when handling denial-of-service attacks or similar incidents. Investigative methods will reveal the underlying party,” Lardot explained.

A drone is defined as a remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle. This news story will be updated as new information emerges.