Finland restricts air and sea traffic in Gulf of Finland amid Russian drone attacks

On the morning of 4 July 2026, Finland’s Defence Forces imposed temporary restrictions on both air and maritime traffic in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, covering the Kotka area near the Russian border. The measure was a precautionary response to a series of drone attacks on north‑western Russia, including a large‑scale strike on St Petersburg that saw dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles shot down and an oil terminal hit.

The air‑space closure, which began early Saturday and was set to lift around 10:00 local time, was accompanied by heightened aerial surveillance and the deployment of F/A‑18 Hornet fighters. Finnish authorities reported no foreign drone detected in their airspace. The restrictions were lifted later at 09:18, and normal traffic resumed.

This was the second such restriction in a short period, the first having been introduced on 2 July. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to the incidents, noting that the drones targeted key Russian energy and naval facilities located more than 850 km from the Ukrainian border.