"The men stayed in the Russian territory for about 15 minutes and had several cans of beer," Timo Häkkinen, chief investigator of Finland's Border Guard told Yle. He also noted that the Russian side was informed about the incident.
After the detention, the Brits admitted having crossed the border deliberately. By their own admission, the temptation to visit Russia, albeit for a brief moment, was too strong. It was reported that the violators were allowed to return to their homeland, but that they'll have to pay a fine.
Jukola is an annual orienteering relay held in the vicinity of Joensuu since 1948. This year's event attracted 15,900 compass-equipped enthusiasts from around the globe.
Absolutely Fabulous —
— Markku Riihinen (@MarkkuRiihinen) 17 июня 2017 г.
maybe the best sport event in the world#jukola Relay #Joensuu #Finland just now
#suunnistus #orienteering pic.twitter.com/M5nkJQRAdc
Remarkably, this is the second time in a week that tourists visiting Finland also have a go at the Russian border.