Russian Mi-17 Helicopters Enter 4km Of Finnish Territory Currently Considering Joining NATO

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin (Photo via @FinBotschaftDe)

JAKARTA - A Russian helicopter violated Finnish airspace, Wednesday, May 4. Coincidentally, Finland is indeed considering an offer to enter NATO.

"The type of aircraft is a Mi-17 helicopter and the depth of the alleged violation is about four to five kilometers," a spokesman for the Finnish Ministry of Defense said, quoted by Channel News Asia.

The incident occurred on Wednesday at 10:40 local time. And this is the second violation of Russian airspace this year, following on April 8 when a Kremlin military-owned civilian transport plane swooped in.

And it all happened after Russia started its invasion of Ukraine.

Experts have warned that Finland and Sweden are likely to become targets of Russian meddling as they consider whether to join NATO as a deterrent against aggression from their eastern neighbours.

Hostile acts such as cyber attacks are also considered possible. However, many believe that the risk of a military attack is low.

Most members of the Finnish parliament and the public are in favor of joining the Atlantic Alliance, and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto will announce his personal stance on the issue on May 12.

"If Finland and Sweden decide to apply for NATO membership, the main issue is to keep the ratification process as short as possible," said Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin.