Spanish jets violating Finnish airspace were escorting Russian aircraft
The Finnish Border Guard has accepted NATO's claim that two Spanish F-18 Hornet fighter jets which violated Finnish airspace on Tuesday entered into the airspace by mistake were escorting three Russian aircraft.
Finnish authorities reported on Tuesday that two Spanish F-18 hornet fighter jets involved in NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission may have entered Finnish airspace without permission that morning, spending a few minutes within the airspace.
The Finnish Border Guard, which investigated the incident, said that NATO submitted an explanation of the matter in which the alliance admitted that the two aircraft entered Finnish airspace by mistake when escorting three Russian aircraft flying close to Estonian airspace.
"There was nothing to contradict the information provided by NATO," Jan Sundell, a border guard official, told Finnish news agency STT.
According to Sundell, the investigation is expected to conclude next week, with most of this time dedicated to data collection.
"This does not seem like a very extraordinary case," he commented. "Nothing out of the ordinary has been revealed."
Five F/A-18 Hornets of the 15th Wing of the Spanish Air Force have been stationed in Estonia since Spain took over the rotating Baltic Air Policing mission based out of Ämari Air Base this May.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS
