Finland scrambles jets after two Russian aircrafts 'violate airspace'
Finnish jets caused a sonic boom heard by residents of Eastern Uusimaa
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Your support makes all the difference.Russia has been accused of violating Finnish air space after two state-owned planes were suspected of entering the country's air space on Tuesday afternoon.
Finland scrambled jets after it believed two Russian aircraft entered the country's airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission, the Nordic state's defense ministry said Wednesday.
This reportedly caused a sonic boom which could be heard by residents in Eastern Uusimaa.
"An airspace violation has been confirmed off the coast near Porvoo," Finnish Ministry of Defence communications director Max Arhippainen told Finnish news site Yle on Wednesday.
"The airforce undertook operative identification flights," a Defence Ministry spokesman said, and added that the border guard was examining data on the possible violations.
The ministry said the planes were state aircraft, a term which refers to aircraft used in military, customs and police services. It gave no further detail.
Finland shares a 1,300-kilometre border with Russia and maintains generally cordial relations with its vast eastern neighbour, but the Ukraine crisis has seen many politicians in the EU member state toughen their tone towards Moscow.
Finland’s Defence Minister Carl Haglund said airspace violations are taken “very seriously” YLE reported, but would not speculate on the matter.
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