With a Wary Eye on Russia, Finland Runs Europe's Largest Civil Defense Exercise Since WWII
More than 2,000 people joined drills that tested shelters, radiation checks and responses to cyberattacks on power and water systems.
- More than 2,000 people participated in Europe's largest civil defense exercise in Kuopio on Wednesday, simulating critical infrastructure disruption and missile threats from Russia.
- Finland navigates heightened security threats from neighboring Russia along a border stretching more than 830 miles from the Baltic Sea to the Arctic Circle.
- Conscripts wearing hazmat suits measured radiation levels in underground shelters, while hundreds slept on trestle beds, reflecting Finland's national mindset of preparedness and duty to independence.
- Savon Voima CEO Juha Rässänen said citizens must remain self-reliant for at least 72 hours, citing cyberattacks and drone sightings as emerging sabotage threats.
- Risto, 95, a veteran of Soviet-era conflicts, emphasizes that Finland's best defense is making the country 'not worth attacking' through collective national resolve.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Underground, in a bunker carved into the rock and designed to withstand even a nuclear or biological attack, Finland is preparing for a scenario that until recently seemed unthinkable: a major security crisis with Russia. More than 2,000 people, including soldiers, volunteers and students, took part in the largest civil defense exercise held in Europe since the end of World War II. In the city of Kuopio, authorities simulated a war situation whe…
With wary eye on Russia, Finland runs Europe's largest civil defence exercise since WWII
Finland has initiated an extensive civil defence drill, simulating scenarios of cyberattacks and missile threats to bolster preparedness. By learning from Ukraine’s swift shelter mobilisation, Finland has drawn lessons from historical conflicts with the Soviet Union.
Associated Press News
With a wary eye on Russia, Finland runs Europe's largest civil defense exercise since WWII
More than 2,000 people in Finland are participating in the largest civil defense drill in Europe since the end of World War II.
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