In a major breakthrough, a diving and salvage team in Estonia has finally located well-preserved parts and debris from a Finnish passenger plane that was shot down by Soviet bombers over the Baltic Sea during World War II. The discovery brings closure to an 84-year-old mystery that has intrigued historians and shed light on Finland's complex wartime history.

The plane, a Junkers Ju 52 operated by Finnish airline Aero (now Finnair), was carrying American and French diplomatic couriers when it was downed on June 14, 1940, just days before the Soviet Union annexed the Baltic states. All nine individuals on board, including the two-member Finnish crew and seven passengers from various nationalities, tragically lost their lives.

The Estonian diving and underwater survey company, Tuukritoode OU, successfully located the wreckage off the coast of the tiny island of Keri, near Estonia's capital, Tallinn. The debris was found at a depth of approximately 70 meters (230 feet), providing valuable evidence of the plane's demise.

Kaido Peremees, spokesman for Tuukritoode OU, credited the team's unique search approach for their success in finding the remains. "Basically, we started from scratch. We took a whole different approach to the search," he explained.

The downing of the civilian plane, named Kaleva, occurred shortly after Finland had signed a peace treaty with Moscow, following the 1939-40 Winter War. The news of the incident was met with disbelief and anger by Helsinki authorities, who were informed that the aircraft had been shot down by two Soviet DB-3 bombers just minutes after taking off from Tallinn's Ulemiste airport.

The Finnish aviation historian Carl-Fredrik Geust, who has been investigating the case since the 1980s, described it as a unique event during peacetime. Finland, however, chose to keep the details of the incident secret for years out of fear of provoking the Soviet Union.

This discovery not only resolves a longstanding mystery but also highlights Finland's troubled ties with Moscow during World War II. Additionally, it serves as a crucial reminder of the critical timing of the plane's downing, just days before the Soviet Union's annexation of the Baltic states.

The tragic fate of the passengers on board the Kaleva holds significance in the broader context of history. American diplomat Henry W. Antheil Jr., who was on the plane at the time, is now recognized as one of the first U.S. casualties of World War II. Antheil was part of a mission to evacuate sensitive diplomatic materials from U.S. missions in Tallinn and Riga, Latvia, as it became increasingly clear that the Soviet Union was about to absorb the Baltic nations.

While the details of the incident have been well-documented over the years, the discovery of the wreckage now provides tangible evidence of the tragedy and allows for a deeper understanding of the events surrounding it. The preservation of these remains is crucial for preserving the memory of those who lost their lives and the historical lessons the incident imparts.