Latest news with #AnttiHakkanen
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Finland summons Russian ambassador over alleged air breach
Finland summoned Russia's ambassador on Monday after two Russian military aircraft allegedly violated Finnish airspace near the southern coast last week. The incident has ramped up rising tensions as Helsinki deepens its NATO integration and bolsters defenses against potential threats along its shared border with Russia. The suspected breach was off the coast of Porvoo, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Helsinki, and is under investigation by Finnish authorities. The country's defense ministry first reported the incident on Friday. "The foreign ministry of Finland has today summoned the ambassador of Russia and requested an explanation regarding the suspected violation of airspace," the ministry said in a post on X. The Foreign Ministry of Finland has today summoned the Ambassador of Russia and requested an explanation regarding the suspected violation of airspace. — MFA Finland 🇫🇮 (@Ulkoministerio) May 26, 2025 Finland, which joined NATO in 2023 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia. Since joining the alliance, Helsinki has warned of increased security threats and has pledged to boost defense readiness. Moscow has repeatedly criticized Finland's accession to NATO and warned of repercussions. Last week, Finland's Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen told the AFP news agency the country was "closely monitoring and assessing Russia's activities and intentions." That followed satellite images published by the New York Times indicating expanded Russian military infrastructure near the border. Hakkanen said Russia's moves to strengthen its armed forces in the area were "not a surprise to Finland." In April, Finland announced plans to raise defense spending to at least 3% of GDP by 2029 and restructure its military to respond to evolving threats. The news came as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled to Finland to attend a summit with the prime ministers of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. Edited by Wesley Dockery
Arab News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Finland summons Russian ambassador over suspected airspace violation: ministry
HELSINKI: Finland's foreign ministry said on Monday it had summoned the Russian ambassador over suspicions that two Russian military aircraft violated its airspace last week. Finland, which dropped decades of military non-alignment to join NATO in 2023, following Russia's fully-fledged invasion of Ukraine, has a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia. The defense ministry reported on Friday there had been a suspected airspace violation off the coast of Porvoo, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the capital, Helsinki. It said an investigation into the incident was ongoing. 'The foreign ministry of Finland has today summoned the ambassador of Russia and requested an explanation regarding the suspected violation of airspace,' the ministry said in a post on X. Moscow has repeatedly warned Finland of repercussions since it joined NATO. Last week, Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen told AFP that Finland was 'closely monitoring and assessing Russia's activities and intentions.' He was commenting after the New York Times published satellite images appearing to show an expansion of Russian military infrastructure near the border. Hakkanen said in an email that Russia's moves 'to strengthen its armed forces have not come as a surprise to Finland.' Helsinki has increased its military investments and preparedness since joining NATO. In April, it announced it would boost defense spending to at least three percent of GDP by 2029 and reform its defense forces to tackle security threats.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian jets violate Finnish airspace, defense ministry says
Two Russian military aircraft are suspected of violating Finland's airspace, the country's defense ministry reported on May 23. "We take the suspected territorial violation seriously and an investigation is underway," Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said in a statement. The Finnish border guard is investigating and will share more information as the probe continues, according to the Finnish Defense Ministry. Russia regularly stages provocations on NATO's eastern flank, which includes Poland, Finland, and the Baltic countries. On May 22, Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian Su-24 bomber in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. Russian aircraft frequently fly from its exclave, Kaliningrad. The jets often disable their transponders, fail to file flight plans, and do not establish contact with regional air traffic control—a pattern NATO officials describe as high-risk behavior. Finland expects an increased Russian military buildup on its border once the war against Ukraine is over, Major General Sami Nurmi, the head of strategy of the Finnish defense forces, said. The Russian military has begun "moderate preparations when it comes to building infrastructure" close to the Finnish border, Nurmi added. "We have excellent capabilities to observe Russian operations. As a member of the alliance, Finland holds a strong security position," Hakkanen said in a separate statement on May 22. Finland joined NATO in 2023 following the onset of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022 and shares a 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) border with Russia. NATO officials have increasingly warned that Russia could attack the alliance's eastern flank in the coming years amid Russia's war against Ukraine. Read also: Ukraine must look beyond the EU for its agricultural future We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Finland says two Russian military aircraft suspected of violating its airspace
HELSINKI (Reuters) -Two Russian military aircraft are suspected of having violated Finnish airspace on Friday, Finland's defence ministry said in a statement. The incident occurred off the coast of Porvoo in southern Finland, the ministry added. "We take the suspected territorial violation seriously and an investigation is ongoing," Minister of Defence Antti Hakkanen said in the statement. The Finnish Border Guard is investigating the incident and will provide more detailed information at a later time, he added.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Finland says two Russian military aircraft suspected of violating its airspace
Finland says two Russian military aircraft suspected of violating its airspace HELSINKI - Two Russian military aircraft are suspected of having violated Finnish airspace on Friday, Finland's defence ministry said in a statement. The incident occurred off the coast of Porvoo in southern Finland, the ministry added. "We take the suspected territorial violation seriously and an investigation is ongoing," Minister of Defence Antti Hakkanen said in the statement. The Finnish Border Guard is investigating the incident and will provide more detailed information at a later time, he added. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
