Finland’s Fighter Jets on Alert as Russia Violates Airspace
By Kati Pohjanpalo and Kasper Viita Aug 29, 2014 8:46 AM ET
Finland’s government said its fighter jets were ready to intercept foreign aircraft after Russian planes repeatedly violated the northernmost euro member’s airspace.
A Russian Antonov AN 72 transport plane crossed the Finnish border yesterday at about 12:08 p.m. local time near Porvoo on the Gulf of Finland, identified by Finland’s F/A-18 Hornet jet, the government in Helsinki said. Russian state aircraft are also suspected of two other airspace violations on on the south coast since Aug. 23.
“It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that they don’t respect borders,” Charly Salonius-Pasternak, senior researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, said by phone. “At a minimum, the Russian air force is acting carelessly and that they do so is more and more serious, taking into account the general international and European security situation.”
The Finnish government views the incursions as “extremely unfortunate incidents” that must be “taken very seriously,” Defense Minister Carl Haglund told reporters in Helsinki yesterday. “Three airspace violations within a week is a lot and unfortunately they don’t really have a good explanation. What we know is they are done somewhat on purpose. We don’t know what that purpose is.”
Finland, which has the European Union’s longest border with Russia, has condemned its eastern neighbor’s incursion into Ukraine, calling the annexation of Crimea and subsequent displays of military aggression illegal. The comments underscore how deeply Europe’s relationship with President Vladimir Putin has soured, even for nations with close economic ties like Finland.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-28/finland-puts-fighter-planes-on-alert-as-russia-violates-airspace.html
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