Finland’s defense forces were put on high alert early Friday after authorities detected suspected drone activity near Helsinki. Fighter jets were scrambled and the capital’s airport was closed for about three hours. Nearly 2 million residents in the Uusimaa region were told to stay indoors.

President Alexander Stubb later stated that authorities had “demonstrated their readiness and capacity to react,” but stressed there was “no direct military threat.” Kimmo Kohvakka, director general for rescue services, called it a “precautionary measure” and said daily life could resume.

The incident underscores heightened tensions in the region as Finland and Baltic states remain wary of Russian aggression amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Latvia recently saw a government crisis after a drone crashed at a fuel storage facility, leading to the defense minister’s dismissal and the prime minister’s resignation.

In March, two drones entered Finnish airspace and crashed. Defense forces chief Kari Nisula indicated that Finland had received information from Ukraine about drones potentially straying into its territory. He added that such situations could recur as long as the war continues.

Meanwhile, Ukraine maintained drone attacks on Russian oil and energy infrastructure. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 355 Ukrainian drones overnight. In Kyiv, a Russian strike on an apartment building killed at least 24 people, including three children.

Amid the violence, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner swap, exchanging 205 prisoners each. They also exchanged bodies: Russia handed over 526 bodies to Ukraine and received 41 in return. Both sides thanked the UAE for mediating.

Source: www.aljazeera.com