HELSINKI (AP) — The Finnish Environment Institute says that Russian military ships have twice recently intercepted one of its research vessels in international waters in the Baltic Sea.

The agency says that a Russian warship ordered the Aranda to change course east off the Swedish island of Gotland on Aug. 2 through radio contact. A month later it was approached by a Russian helicopter and a military vessel.

The institute said in a statement Saturday that in neither case did the Aranda change its course or speed and continued its research into marine samples in the area.

It said that Swedish meteorological researchers were on the vessel during the incidents with a Finnish crew that felt intimidated by the Russian interference.

No further information was immediately available.

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