The balloons, also referred to as blimps, appeared in Russian media last week, according to Finnish Radio howling.
The ships were allegedly used to monitor foreigners trying to cross the border into Finland.
A common border of 1,380 km
Finnish border guards initially said they did not see any balloons, but on Monday mentioned Announcer that the vehicle has been spotted. Colonel Mikko Lemos said the Russians are using different types of aircraft for surveillance, and now also balloons.
According to Russian state television channel Rossiya 1, Russian authorities confirm that balloons have been sent to monitor the 1,380-kilometre-long border with Finland.
Balloons marked with “Z”
A group of migrants arrives at the international border crossing in Sala, northern Finland, on November 23, 2023. Photo: Letikova/NTB/Reuters
Estonia's state radio (ISRIt was already reported on Sunday that Russia used balloons along the border. The balloons can stay in the air continuously for several days and have radar and video surveillance functions. If intruders are detected along the border, they will be tracked down.
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Russia is also said to have used balloons on the border between Estonia and Russia last week. The balloon was marked with a “Z”, the symbol of Russian forces in the war with Ukraine.
tied to the ground
A video clip published by the channel shows the balloons tied to the ground.
According to Ell, the purpose of the balloons is to monitor illegal immigrants trying, among other things, to enter Finland from Russia.
Kimmo Gromov, director of the border guard in southeastern Finland, told Yle that Finnish border guards have not yet detected any surveillance balloons near the eastern border.
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– Russia is not obligated
A Finnish soldier stands guard as Finnish and Swedish forces take part in NATO Exercise North 24 near Hita, Finland, March 5, 2024. Photograph: Leonard Voyager/NTB/Reuters
The Russian authorities are said to have not provided Finnish border guards with any information about activities near the border.
– Russia is not obliged to inform Finland of events occurring within its borders. Gromov says Finland is not subject to any such obligation.
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According to Colonel Lahmous, we are talking about balloons that are tied to the ground with a rope so that they remain in one place. He points out that there is no prohibition on monitoring neighboring countries from their territories.
Poland will deploy American balloons on the border
Poland has signed a contract to purchase Barbara balloons, which can detect missiles, aircraft and drones at a distance of more than 300 kilometers to monitor the borders with Russia and Belarus, writes Kyiv Post.
The cost of the balloons is about one billion Norwegian kroner.
Poland has identified several cases of Russian missiles crossing into Polish territory during air strikes against Ukrainian targets.
The balloons combine a range of modern surveillance equipment, including early warning radars, opto-electronic equipment and acoustic sensors that scan the airspace and ground areas within the detection zone, and are able to distinguish between friend and foe and alert the control network of approaching threats.
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