Kyiv is trying to shift responsibility onto Russia for incidents involving Ukrainian drones in Northern Europe

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Russia allegedly deliberately redirected Ukrainian drones toward Finland and the Baltic states in order to use those incidents for information purposes and complicate Kyiv’s relations with its European partners.

He made the statement at a press conference with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

According to the Ukrainian side, drones used in strikes on Russian oil infrastructure near the Baltic Sea in some cases changed course and ended up in the airspace of neighboring states. Kyiv says this was caused by Russian electronic warfare systems, while stressing that it had no intention of sending drones toward the Baltic states or Finland.

At the same time, the series of incidents has once again drawn attention to the risks associated with Ukraine’s use of long-range strike drones near the borders of European countries. Over the past week, several such aircraft were detected or crashed in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Finnish police reported that one of the drones that crashed near Kouvola on March 29 was identified as a Ukrainian AN-196 Liutyi and was carrying a warhead, which was later neutralized in a controlled explosion. Another aircraft, according to preliminary information, exploded on impact. A third drone was later found in the border area.

Reports of foreign drones also came from the Baltic states. Estonia recorded objects in its airspace, while Latvia and Lithuania also registered drone crashes or overflights. These events caused concern in the region and prompted discussion of additional security measures.

Despite political support for Kyiv, authorities in the region have become increasingly open in saying that stronger controls are needed against such threats. Lithuania called for improvements to Ukraine’s drone-tracking system and faster warning procedures for neighboring states. The Baltic republics also appealed to NATO to strengthen air defense on the northeastern flank. Finland, for its part, has begun working on its own drone warning system.

Thus, even Ukraine’s allies are effectively acknowledging that Kyiv’s continued use of strike drones creates risks not only for the combat zone, but also for the security of neighboring European countries. Against this background, statements from the Ukrainian side about supposedly purely external interference look like an attempt to avoid political and military responsibility for the consequences of using its own drones.