Please agree to our privacy policy to enable news listening. (Central News Agency reporter Wu Qilin Helsinki special report on the 15th) A security alert broke out in the Uusimaa region of Finland, including the capital Helsinki, in the early morning of the 15th. As intelligence from allied countries showed that a Ukrainian drone carrying heavy explosives may have strayed into the airspace, the government issued an emergency danger alert, requiring nearly 1.8 million residents in the territory to stay indoors for shelter, and Helsinki-Vantaa Airport temporarily suspended flight takeoffs and landings. According to national broadcaster YLE, the Ministry of Defense finally confirmed three hours after the announcement that no drones had entered Finnish airspace and that the air crisis had been successfully resolved. Air Force Commander Timo Herranen pointed out at a press conference that Finland received intelligence from its allies around 1 a.m. on the 15th that a large Ukrainian drone carrying heavy explosives was flying towards Finland at a distance of about 500 kilometers. The area that may have strayed into is predicted to be from Helsinki to Porvoo, where the oil refinery is located. The military immediately increased its combat readiness and urgently dispatched F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets to patrol the skies over Helsinki and along the coast. Navy ships and helicopters were also on full alert. The Ministry of Interior’s Rescue Service issued an alert at 3:49 a.m., Helsinki-Vantaa Airport suspended flight takeoffs and landings, and Gulf of Finland shipping also cooperated with rerouting. It was not until 7:06 a.m. that the authorities confirmed that the threat was lifted and then gradually lifted the control measures. Although the military emphasized that the alert was issued based on safety precautions and was not an overreaction, the late-night alert still had a considerable impact on Helsinki’s social operations. Due to a technical glitch in the 112 Emergency Notification App, the notification of lifting the alarm was delayed. Many people could only learn of the news immediately through social media such as WhatsApp and Douyin or through relatives and friends. The transportation and medical systems have also been affected. The number of flight delays at Vantaa Airport once ranked first in the world; Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) left attendance decisions to nursing staff for self-evaluation, and some nurses canceled their shifts to comply with home evacuation instructions, resulting in delays in operations and diagnosis and treatment. Although the city government notified school teachers in the early morning, many parents did not receive notifications from the school management system until nearly 8 o’clock to confirm whether students were in school. The notification speed was criticized by the outside world as being too slow. Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated on the social platform X that Finland did not face a direct military threat and revealed that he had been in contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Praising the drone warning, the relevant units responded very quickly, demonstrating the preparedness of the military and government. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo admitted at a press conference in the afternoon that there is indeed room for improvement in the notification mechanism this time and that the SMS emergency alert system will be accelerated in the future. He also rejected the question of “overreaction” and said bluntly: “If there is a clear risk that a drone carrying a warhead may enter the most densely populated area of Finland, I do not think that raising the alert is an overreaction.” He asked reporters: “If we did not sound the alarm, what really happened?” Since neighboring Latvia just recently triggered a political storm due to a drone incident, leading to the collapse of the government, this incident has also put Finnish political circles under pressure and dare not take it lightly. Since the spring of this year, several Ukrainian drones have accidentally crashed in southeastern Finland, prompting the military to take the highest level of preventive measures in the face of this large-scale drone warning. (Editor: Chen Chenggong) 1150516 Support the Central News Agency’s choice to stand with the facts. Every donation you make is a small amount of support to protect press freedom. Download the Central News Agency’s “First-hand News” APP to get the latest news in real time. The text, pictures and audio and video of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.
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