The drone was found on Tuesday on the coast of one of the Porvoo archipelago islands in the Gulf of Finland, less than two hours by car east of the capital Helsinki.
“The Finnish Border Guard and police are investigating this incident,” said Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen (Antis Hakanen) in a statement.
According to Antti Leskela, the Finnish border guard officer leading the investigation, the drone did not pose a threat to the public as it did not contain any explosives.
“It has been determined that this device is safe,” he said.
A. Leskela indicated that it is “too early to assess” whether the drone came from neighboring Russia.
The Finnish Ministry of Defense stated that, according to preliminary data, it was “used for reconnaissance and mapping.”
According to A. Leskela, it was a “fixed-wing unmanned aircraft several meters long.”
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The Border Guard is investigating the origin of the aircraft, possible flight route or drift direction to Finland, as well as other circumstances.
A. Leskela declined to comment further on the drone’s purpose, stating only that the matter is still under investigation.
He added that it is “quite possible” that the drone could have been carried to the Finnish coast by currents from other parts of the Baltic Sea.
In recent months, Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian oil ports near the Gulf of Finland, and Finland has reported several stray Ukrainian drones falling on its territory this year.
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