Russia admits July border violation by one of its helicopters
Russia has admitted that one of the country's frontier guard service helicopters flew into Finnish airspace over the near Nuijamaa in late July.
A spokesman from the Vyborg area frontier guard stated that the illegal border crossing was a result of a navigational error by the helicopter crew at a point where the border-zone makes a sharp curve.
Such things are apparently possible when flying by sight navigation at low altitudes.
Russia has issued a formal apology for the violation and the matter is officially closed.
A heavy MI-8 helicopter was spotted by several witnesses at around noon on July 28th in a place where it was not supposed to be. One border patrol also took pictures of the aircraft in flight.
It was apparently on the Finnish side for around five minutes, and the greatest extent of the incursion was roughly two kilometres from the border.
Helsingin Sanomat
