Police in Norway have arrested a Russian man caught flying a drone over Norway’s Tromso Airport (TOS).
The 51-year-old man was arrested on October 14, 2022. Police also seized a “large” amount of photography equipment, including the drone and memory cards, the Washington Post reported.
Upon reviewing the seized items, police found photos of a Norwegian military helicopter, and of Kirkenes Airport (KKN), another Norwegian airport located near the Russian border, and a Norwegian town near the Russian border.
The unidentified man faces charges of flying a drone in Norway. The Washington Post said that in February 2022, Norway’s Civil Aviation Authority banned Russians from flying or operating aircraft, including drones, in Norway. The law prohibits Russian-registered and Russian-operated aircraft from landing in, taking off from or flying over Norway.
Police confirmed that the man does not live in Norway, and entered the country on October 13, 2022, through Storskog, a border crossing station on the Norwegian side of the Norway-Russia border.
Two Russian drone incidents in a week
The arrest comes just days after another Russian man was detained by Norwegian police in Arctic Norway after multiple drone sightings were reported close to Norwegian offshore oil and gas drilling platforms.
The 50-year old man, identified as Vitaly Rustanov, was nabbed in Storskog, the only transit point between Norway and Russia. According to police, Rustanov carried three passports: two Russian and one Israeli.