Each planes had been on account of land in Russia however had been pressured to divert to close by Finland.
Each planes had been on account of land in Russia however had been pressured to divert to close by Finland (Picture: @Merivartiosto/X)
Two planes travelling from Serbia to St Petersburg, Russia, had been pressured to divert to Helsinki Airport (HEL) on Saturday morning (March 28) after a number of airports closed. The 2 flights landed in Finland as Russia’s Pulkovo Airport (LED) was closed because of a Ukrainian drone assault on Russia.
Finland’s Coast Guard stated on X: “Two plane en route from Serbia to St. Petersburg landed early this morning at @HelsinkiAirport, which was serving as an alternate airport, because the St Petersburg airport was briefly closed. After refuelling, one plane was in a position to proceed its journey, whereas the opposite remained at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport due to a technical drawback.”
Each AirSerbia planes landed at Helsinki Airport on Saturday morning (Picture: Getty)
Serbiasta Pietariin matkalla olleet kaksi lentokonetta laskeutuivat aamuyöstä varakenttänä olleelle @HelsinkiAirport, Pietarin lentokentän ollessa tilapäisesti suljettuna. Tankkauksen jälkeen toinen kone pääsi jatkamaan matkaa, toisen jäädessä teknisen syyn vuoksi Hki-Vantaalle. pic.twitter.com/lHQ8cVmCyW
— Merivartiosto – SLMV (@Merivartiosto) March 28, 2026
The Finnish coastguard added that passengers on the grounded aircraft had been in a position to proceed their journey on a substitute plane despatched by the airline, AirSerbia, earlier than the aircraft returned to Serbia. It additionally reported an analogous touchdown in Helsinki on March 25, carried out by a aircraft travelling from Egypt to Russia.
St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport is situated 9 miles south of the town centre and a few 650 miles north of the Ukrainian border, however the metropolis and surrounding Leningrad Oblast have been the goal of current drone exercise. St Petersburg is the gateway for Russia’s Baltic oil exports, so by focusing on the Ust-Luga and Primorsk terminals, Kyiv is continuous its technique to cripple the Kremlin’s financial system.
Finland has additionally felt different results of the struggle between Russia and Ukraine close to its borders. The Nordic nation shares an 835-mile border with Russia, operating primarily by means of forests and sparsely populated areas from the Baltic Sea to the Arctic Ocean. The border is closely managed by the Finnish Border Guard, particularly for the reason that begin of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and is marked by blue-and-white (Finland) and green-and-red (Russia) posts.
On Friday (March 27), the Finnish armed forces stepped up surveillance after reported Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil ports close to the Gulf of Finland. The day earlier than, the Finnish Meteorological Institute recorded extraordinarily poor air high quality in South Karelia, with the deterioration reportedly attributable to fires at Russian ports after Ukrainian assaults, in addition to airborne particles that reached Finland from central elements of the continent.
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On March 24, the Finnish Border Guard signed a €5million (£4.4million) contract with the Finnish tech agency, Sensofusion Oy, to implement a complicated counter-drone system.
With the EU footing 90% of the invoice by means of its Border Administration and Visa Coverage (BMVI) fund, this method is designed to detect, determine and neutralise unauthorised or hostile drones that threaten border safety or intrude with essential operations. Moreover, Finland is establishing a 124-mile fence alongside elements of its border, anticipated to be accomplished within the subsequent few years.
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