Finland Restricts Gulf of Finland Shipping Again Over Drone Threats

Finnish authorities imposed a temporary maritime restriction in the eastern Gulf of Finland on 28 July 2026, citing drone activity linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Air traffic was also suspended. The restriction lasted a matter of hours.

It was not the first. Earlier in July, the Finnish Defence Forces recorded at least four other episodes: 4 July, 6 and 7 July, 18 July, and 24 July. The 24 July closure was imposed at 2:46 AM local time and lifted at 6:56 AM; officials confirmed no drones entered Finnish territory that night.

Each closure has covered maritime and air traffic in the eastern section of the Gulf, near Kotka. The restricted zone's exact boundaries have not been publicly disclosed.

For the wider shipping context, our guides explain how conflicts change shipping routes, tracking vessel activity by region, and why ships may be absent from a tracking map.