Finland fires warning shots at ‘foreign submarine’ near Helsinki

Incident comes amid growing military tensions with neighbouring Russia, months after Sweden mounts unsuccessful hunt for suspected Russian submarine in its waters

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Carl Haglund, Finland’s defence minister, did not say whether Russia was involved, but the incident was reminiscent of a Swedish hunt for a foreign submarine in its waters last October that many thought to be Russian.

Third Russian airspace violation in a week; Finland steps up air surveillance

Yet another Russian aircraft has strayed into Finnish airspace. In the latest incident, a Russian transport plane is suspected of flying over Finland around mid-day Thursday. Defence Minister Carl Haglund said Thursday Finland will heighten its air surveillance activities as a result of the incursions.

A Russian Border Guard airplane ventured into Finnish territory near Porvoo on Thursday. This time around, the suspected offender was a Russian An-72 transport aircraft was suspected of crossing into Finnish airspace over the Gulf of Finland around mid-day.

Haglund: Sweden and Finland closer to NATO than ever

Finland’s Ministry of Defence Carl Haglund says he believes Russia’s actions in Ukraine have brought Finland and Sweden closer to NATO now than they ever were in the past.

During his party’s conference in the southern coastal city of Hanko on Saturday, the Swedish People’s Party (RKP) Chair Carl Haglund spoke of the Ukraine crisis and its ramifications, defending Ukraine’s right to sovereignty and self-determination.

Sweden Proposes Nordic Battalion Force Plan

HELSINKI — A potential joint Nordic Battalion Force (NBF) will be on the table when defense ministers and commanders from Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark meet to discuss the Swedish proposal this fall.

The concept for establishing the modular-style NBF is fundamental to a closer and meaningful Nordic defense cooperation, said Swedish Armed Force chief Gen. Sverker Göransson.