Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil terminals visible and audible near Finland’s eastern border

Residents along Finland’s eastern border were awakened early Wednesday by the sound of fighter jets, as Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil terminals near the Finnish border caused visible smoke plumes and raised local concerns, reports Yle.

Local farmer Harri Olli in Virolahti, near the southeastern border, told Yle he was woken by the noise of aircraft in the early hours. Other residents in the area reported similar experiences on social media, noting that jet sounds carry for tens of kilometres when the wind is right. Olli speculated the activity was linked to Ukraine’s strike on Russia’s Ust-Luga oil terminal, though he did not see the aircraft themselves—only contrails in the sky.

Finnish Defence Forces have not confirmed whether Finnish Air Force jets were active in the area.

The strikes have heightened unease among locals. Susanna Jokinen said her two young sons, aged eight and ten, were worried by the events. “I’ve tried to reassure them that there’s no immediate danger,” she said, adding that she hopes the situation remains relatively calm. Another resident, Mariia Streit-Iivari, described following the news “with hairs standing on end,” acknowledging the possibility of stray drones crossing into Finland.

Olli, however, remained unfazed. “There’s been trouble here before. No point fretting—it won’t change anything,” he said, dismissing fears that the conflict could spill into Finland. “Ukraine is too far away, and the international border is too tightly controlled for that.”

Ukraine has targeted two Russian oil terminals this week: Ust-Luga and Primorsk (Koivisto), the latter just 50 kilometres from the Finnish border. A fire at the Primorsk terminal has sent a thick plume of black smoke drifting toward Finland, which meteorologists say could reach Finnish airspace on Wednesday, depending on wind conditions. Rain over the eastern Gulf of Finland may help disperse the smoke, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

Ukraine confirmed a separate drone attack near Vyborg, close to the Finnish border, on Wednesday.