Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The manual started circulating after three UAV’s crashed in a NATO country bordering Russia.
Authorities in Finland are examining the spread of counterfeit safety instructions that surfaced after a recent drone incident.
According to Finnish broadcaster Yle, Finnish police say the documents falsely offered advice on how to respond to a drone attack, including steps for sheltering and post-incident actions.
The material appeared credible at first glance, using the official name and logo of the Finnish Rescue Service.
Disinformation concerns
Jukka Savolainen from the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats told Yle, the origin of the manual is likely Russian.
He noted similarities with previous disinformation campaigns that exploit real events.
The timing aligns with a March 29 incident in which three drones entered Finnish airspace and crashed. Two landed near Kouvola, close to the Russian border.
Separate findings point to a wider trend. A March 20 report from the Center for Countering Disinformation highlighted a rise in foreign information manipulation.
The report, citing the European External Action Service, recorded 540 such cases in 2025, involving around 10,500 online platforms. It also found that 27% of incidents used AI-generated or manipulated content to accelerate output.
Suspicious spread
The issue emerged shortly after three unidentified drones crashed within Finnish territory, prompting public attention and online discussion.
Authorities are now focused on identifying who created and circulated the content. No suspects have been publicly named.
Yle reported that the earliest traces of the material were found on the Russian platform VKontakte.
The content later appeared in Finnish-language spaces after circulating in Russian channels.
Posts linked to the campaign suggested that “Ukrainian drones threaten Finland,” framing the situation in a broader geopolitical narrative.
Sources: Yle, European External Action Service, Finnish Center for Countering Disinformation, United24Media
