Finland's Foreign Ministry summons Russian chargé d'affaires over airspace violation

Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires in response to a violation of the country’s airspace. The meeting is scheduled for 11 June, but no further details have been disclosed.

As reported by Yle, a Finnish public service media company, a chargé d’affaires is the deputy to an ambassador who assumes their duties in the ambassador’s absence.

The incident took place on the afternoon of Tuesday 10 June. A Russian aircraft reportedly entered Finnish airspace over the sea near the city of Porvoo. The Finnish Border Guard is conducting an investigation.

This is not the first such incident in the region. Finnish authorities have repeatedly stated their readiness to respond decisively to any violation of national sovereignty.

On 23 May, Finland’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to explain another airspace violation by Russian aircraft. 

At the time, Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen noted that Russian activity in the Baltic Sea had clearly increased, raising tensions in the region.