Drone debris found scattered on land in Luumäki, but none recovered from lake bottom

Authorities in southeastern Finland have recovered parts of a downed drone from a hillside in Luumäki, but underwater searches at nearby Tervajärvi lake yielded no findings, public broadcaster Yle reports.

Police, border guards, and defence forces conducted searches Tuesday in the area between Väliväyläntie road and Liivalahti bay, where the drone is believed to have fallen Sunday. The zone was temporarily cordoned off during operations.

Divers from the Finnish Defence Forces assisted local police in scanning the lakebed, though no drone-related debris was found. “The goal was to confirm whether any parts ended up in the water—so far, nothing has been detected in the lake,” said Senior Police Commissioner Jukka Lankinen. The water search concluded by evening, while technical examinations of recovered land-based fragments continue.

Fragments scattered over wide area
Ground searches, completed Monday, turned up drone components across the hillside, but investigators found no clear impact crater. “The parts were spread over a fairly large area. Our assessment is that the drone exploded midair before hitting the ground,” Lankinen stated.

Though most visible debris has been collected, authorities caution that small pieces may remain unnoticed. “Nothing hazardous should be left in the area,” Lankinen noted, urging the public to avoid touching any suspicious objects and to report findings to emergency services via 112.

The Southeast Finland Police Department leads the ongoing site investigation, with support from defence personnel. A second drone was recovered Sunday near Kouvola, roughly 100 km northwest of Luumäki, amid reports of widespread GPS interference across Finland.