Finland Identifies Downed Ukrainian Drones in March as Chaika Decoy Drones

The Finnish Air Force misidentified unmanned aerial vehicles that crashed in the country in late March.

The correct drone type was first reported by Jyri Kosola, former head of research at the Finnish Defence Forces, and later confirmed by the National Bureau of Investigation, according to Yle.

During a visual check, a pilot of an F/A-18 Hornet mistakenly identified the UAV as a Ukrainian An-196 Liutyi strike drone. In reality, it was a decoy drone called Chaika. The confusion occurred as both drones have a very similar shape in flight.

Experts reached this conclusion after a detailed analysis of photographs of the wreckage and comparisons with drones that had previously crashed in various regions of Russia. Examination of the materials confirmed the use of significantly cheaper components.

The Chaika drone is about half the size of the An-196 Liutyi, but features a similar twin-boom tail design and a pusher propeller. The pilot was unable to accurately assess the drone’s true size due to the fighter jet’s high speed at low altitude, which made it difficult to distinguish the target’s dimensions against the background of trees.

Specialists describe this UAV as a simple design made from inexpensive materials, developed for mass production.

Ukraine uses such low-cost drones as decoys to overload the enemy’s air defense systems.

A large number of such devices forces the enemy to expend expensive surface-to-air missiles, allowing a second wave of drones with larger payloads to reach their targets more easily. This approach significantly increases the effectiveness of air operations.

The National Bureau of Investigation recorded only a few kilograms of explosive material in the recovered devices.

In late March, Russian electronic warfare systems diverted Ukrainian drones into the airspace of Finland.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine noted that it is in contact with the Finnish side regarding this incident.

Meanwhile, the Finnish side stated that it understands the situation. Both sides are convinced that the root cause of the incident is primarily Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which is creating new security challenges for the entire region.