Key facts
- Finland and Sweden jointly intercepted Russian military aircraft over the Gulf of Finland on Thursday.
- This was the first joint operation of its kind between the two Nordic countries.
- The intercepted Russian aircraft included a transport plane and several fighter jets.
- Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson highlighted the operation as an expression of Nordic and NATO cooperation.
- Both Finland and Sweden joined NATO following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Finland and Sweden jointly scrambled fighter jets on Thursday to intercept and identify Russian military aircraft operating in international airspace over the Gulf of Finland. This marks the first such joint operation by the two Nordic nations since they joined NATO.
The Baltic Sea region has been on high alert following various incidents since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including gas pipeline disruptions and airspace violations.