HELSINKI (Reuters) - The Russian navy twice interfered with a Finnish state environmental research vessel in international waters near Sweden in August and September, the Finnish Environment Institute said on Saturday.
The statement comes after Finland in August accused Russia, its eastern neighbour and former ruler, of violating its airspace three times in less than a week.
The institute said its research vessel, which is used for monitoring the condition of the Baltic Sea, in August was heading to take samples from a routine location when a Russian naval vessel told it twice via radio to change course.
It ignored the second request, and later noticed a submarine nearby.
"In September, a Russian helicopter and a military ship passed the vessel very close," said Mari Walls, the institute's marine research director.
The crew and Swedish researchers onboard considered the incident as threatening, she added. She declined to speculate on Russian navy's motives.
Finland's foreign ministry said it would comment on the incidents later on Saturday. The Russian defence ministry said it could not immediately comment.
European Union member Finland shares a 1,300-km (800-mile) border with Russia and maintains generally cordial relations with it, but the conflict in Ukraine has led its defence forces to step up surveillance.
(Reporting By Jussi Rosendahl)
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