Russia denies Finnish airspace violation

The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday denied Russian planes violated Finnish airspace. "There was no Finnish airspace violation by Russia," a spokesman for Russia’s Western Military District said, Russian news agency (RIA Novosti) reported. The Finnish defense ministry said on its website on Friday that "a Russian military plane is suspected of violating the airspace of Finland in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland on the evening of August 23, 2012." The incident is being investigated by the Finnish border guard service. Another military spokesman, Col. Andrei Bobrun, said the airspace violation was not detected by St. Petersburg-based aviation traffic control center and the Russian air defense in the area.