Russian plane breaching NATO airspace sparks diplomatic tension
Finland suspected a Russian plane had breached its airspace. This was the first time since the country joined NATO in 2023.
The Finnish Ministry of Defense reported that a Russian military aircraft breached the country's airspace in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, near Loviisa.
The incident occurred on the morning of 10 June. According to preliminary data from the department, the aircraft was in Finnish airspace for about two minutes, "flying 3 kilometres (2 miles) from the border."
Defense Minister Antti Haakanen said the department "takes this violation seriously" and initiated an investigation. The Finnish Ministry of Defense reminded that the last time Russian aircraft breached the country's airspace was in August 2022, before Finland joined NATO.
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In the afternoon of 10 June, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian long-range aviation aircraft carried out regular flights in airspace over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, the Barents Sea, and Norway.
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Strategic missile carriers Tu-95ms and long-range bombers Tu-22m3 participated in the flights. "At some stages of the route, the long-range bombers were accompanied by foreign fighters," informed the Russian department in a statement.
Let's recall that Finland became a member of NATO in April 2023. The country applied for membership in the North Atlantic Alliance shortly after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on Finland's decision to join the alliance, stating that the Russian Federation had no problems with this country before it was "dragged into NATO."
There were no problems. Now there will be. Because now we will create the Leningrad Military District and focus specific military units there. Why they need it, it's just nonsense," said Putin.
