Close to 5000 troops and 1000 vehicles will be part of the drills, which are the biggest in Finland this year. For two weeks, the Finnish military will show force in the northern parts of the country. Apart from conscripts and senior officers the war games will involve tanks, artillery and anti-tank weapons, as well as the specialist Arctic unit, the Jaeger Brigade, Yle reports.
The drills will not be let unnoticed by nearby Russia, which has requested permission to conduct an official inspection in the intitial part of the rehersal. The aim of the inspection is to establish that Finland follows up its obligations under the Vienna Document, the Finnish Armed Forces inform in a press release. The inspections are part of routine arms control. Half a dozen or so similar inspections are carried out in Finland every year. Reciprocally, Finland takes part in inspections in other participating states, mil.fi informs.
The drills come as Finnish relations with neighboring Russia are under increasing strain. The situation has been additionally aggravated by Russian military aircrafts’ apparent violations of Finnish air space this week. According to the Finnish Defence Ministry, one aircraft violated the state border by Porvoo on Tuesday and another in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday.
The developments are spurring growing discussions in Finland about the country’s national security adherence. According to Defence Minister Carl Haglund, the current political course in Russia is bringing Finland closer to NATO
“It is a bit of a paradox that Russia’s actions have pushed Finland and Sweden closer to NATO membership than ever before. I doubt that was the Russian intention,” he said.
Finland needs to engage in a serious debate on the country’s defence and security solutions, the minister added, Yle reports.
As previously reported, Finland is also strengthening its military cooperation with Sweden and Norway. Earlier this month, Finland and Sweden signed a joint nine-point action plan on enhanced military relations. The countries are also actively participating within the Nordefco agreement.
