Sweden and Finland have stepped up surveillance over the Gulf of Finland after scrambling fighter jets to identify a group of Russian military aircraft operating in international airspace.
The Finnish Air Force said the operation was conducted on Thursday under a joint framework between the two Nordic countries aimed at monitoring and protecting the airspace around their territories.
Finnish and Swedish fighter jets were deployed after military aircraft from Russia were detected in the area.
The Russian formation included a transport aircraft accompanied by several fighter jets, according to the Finnish Air Force.
The Nordic aircraft tracked and identified the Russian planes while confirming that they were operating in international airspace.
Although no violation of Finnish or Swedish airspace was reported, the incident underscores the heightened level of military surveillance in the strategically sensitive Baltic region.
The Gulf of Finland is an important maritime and air corridor bordering Finland, Estonia and Russia, making activity involving Russian military aircraft closely monitored by neighbouring states.
The operation also highlights the growing defence coordination between Finland and Sweden, which have strengthened military cooperation and integrated their air surveillance capabilities amid heightened security concerns across northern Europe.
Both countries have expanded their defence cooperation significantly in recent years, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting changes to the European security environment.
