UAV event in Päijät-Häme, Iitti, Perheniemi area, Finland on Sat 11th April 2026

The Finnish Defence Forces and police detonated an unexploded warhead found in a remote area of Iitti on Saturday. The device had detached from a suspected Ukrainian drone discovered nearby.

The items fell in the Perheniemi area of the Päijät-Häme municipality of Iitti, which borders on Kouvola. The nearest settlement is about a kilometre away.

Officials said that the explosive device was detonated in a controlled manner after 8 pm. Yle journalists at the scene heard a large explosion around 8:15 pm. The sound of the explosion was captured on video.

On Sunday, police said they were continuing their investigation in the area. The forest area and nearby small roads in the area remained cordoned off. Locals told Yle that the drone is in a nearby wetlands area.

Drone "similar" to previous discoveries

Police say the drone appears to be "similar" to drones found elsewhere in southeastern Finland in recent weeks. The National Bureau of Investigation and the Border Guard are investigating whether the drone is related to the Ukrainian drones previously found in Kouvola, Parikkala and Luumäki, Detective Inspector Sami Liimatainen said in a press release.

The Air Force has confirmed that at least the one that crashed in Kouvola was a Ukrainian AN-196 drone. It is 4.4 metres long, with a wingspan of 6.7 metres.

The Border Guard is investigating a suspected territorial violation. According to the police, there is reason to suspect that the incident posed a danger to the public.

Police urged members of the public not to touch or approach any suspected drones or components. Possible sightings should be reported to the emergency number 112.