On January 22, 2026, Major General Pekka Turunen, head of Finnish Defence Intelligence, highlighted a rising risk of drones drifting into Finland’s airspace due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Finnish military intelligence report emphasizes that Ukraine’s strikes near the Gulf of Finland and Russia’s GPS jamming to counter these attacks could cause drones to be diverted into Finnish territory accidentally. So far, no such incidents have been reported. Finland shares a 1,340 km border with Russia and joined NATO in April 2023 following the invasion of Ukraine. The Finnish intelligence chief noted that the military threat level has not increased notably over the past year. European NATO members, reacting to unprecedented Russian drone airspace violations since September 2025, have agreed to develop a ‘drone wall’ to detect, track and intercept drones entering European airspace. NATO has deployed a US anti-drone system to its eastern flank and established the Eastern Sentry programme to deter Russian incursions. The Kremlin denies responsibility for these drone incidents. Finnish officials also noted that political turmoil caused by the US push to seize Greenland may have encouraged Russia to act more freely. The report underscores heightened vigilance in the region amid complex geopolitical tensions.
Category: Military & Paramilitary Operations
Subcategory: High-Tech Military Tools
Incident Type: Drone swarms & UAV surveillance
Country: Finland
Source report: www.euronews.com/2026/01/2…
