Finland probes suspected airspace violation by Russian aircraft

The Finnish Border Guard is investigating a suspected airspace violation by a Russian reconnaissance aircraft, broadcaster Yle reported Friday.

The Defense Ministry announced in a written statement that a Russian aircraft was suspected of violating Finnish airspace in the Gulf of Finland on Thursday afternoon.

"Every suspected territorial violation is taken seriously. An investigation is underway," Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said in a press release.

The Finnish Border Guard noted that the suspected violation involved a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft.

It said the suspected violation lasted around three minutes, while the aircraft was approximately 4.7 nautical miles inside Finnish airspace at its deepest point.