The police have investigated GPS interference that occurred in the Finnish territory in spring 2022, and several airspace violations in Finnish airspace in spring and summer 2022. These criminal investigations have been interrupted because the suspects are not known to the police.
The airspace violations involved Russian civil aircraft entering Finnish airspace in, for example, the Gulf of Finland off the coast of Loviisa. Each violation lasted for a short time.
The National Bureau of Investigation suspects that regulation offences were committed in connection with the airspace violations as these breached the EU sanctions imposed on Russia due to the war in Ukraine, which also apply to civil aircraft.
The GPS interference in March 2022 was investigated as interference with communications. Satellite positioning systems in Eastern Finland were found to be interfered with on several days.
A regulation offence and interference with communications are punishable by a fine or a maximum of two years’ imprisonment. The maximum punishment for an aggravated regulation offence is imprisonment for four years, and for aggravated interference with communications imprisonment for five years.
The National Bureau of Investigation has interrupted said investigations into GPS interference and airspace violations because the perpetrators remain unknown.
The police have investigated the cases in cooperation between the Finnish Defence Forces and Border Guard. The National Bureau of Investigation will not comment on the criminal investigations any further at this point. The investigations will be continued if new information arises.
Previous press releases: Violations of Finnish airspace in March investigated by police
