According to RIA Novosti, Finnish land forces have begun training near the border with Russia, with 2,800 personnel taking part. The move signals ongoing preparations by Helsinki to maintain readiness on its eastern flank. The drills are designed to test a full spectrum of ground warfare skills, from individual tasks to large-unit coordination, under varying weather and terrain conditions.
The exercises are scheduled from November 30 through December 4 at the Vuosanka and Sotinpuro training grounds in Kajaani and Kuhmo. These sites, deep inside Finnish territory, provide diverse terrain for winter training, including forested areas, fields, and snow-covered paths that challenge mobility, navigation, and long-range communications.
In addition to personnel, the plan calls for 600 transport and combat vehicles, one NH90 transport helicopter, and one MD 500 light helicopter. The mix of tracked and wheeled vehicles, combined with rotorcraft, broadens the operational envelope for maneuver and sustainment tasks during winter exercises.
The drills aim to practice offensive and defensive preparations, methods to slow and wear down an advancing enemy, and combat at night and in harsh Finnish winter conditions. Trainers emphasize mission planning under reduced visibility, cold-weather endurance, and rapid adaptation to ice and snow-covered terrain.
ERR television and radio reported that a Lightning Picne exercise was planned in Estonia with NATO participation in the first half of December, signaling Baltic security ties.
On November 14, Sweden and NATO carried out Dynamic Merlin 24, a Baltic Sea exercise that tested submarine search methods and sensor coordination.
The Swedish Navy organized the exercise with the support of NATO Standing Maritime Group 1. A broad coalition participated, including corvettes, frigates, support ships, helicopters, and aircraft from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The event highlighted collective capacity to project maritime security across the Baltic region.
Earlier, Sweden and NATO conducted additional Baltic Sea exercises, underscoring ongoing collaboration and joint readiness among Nordic defense partners and alliance members in northern Europe.
These engagements reflect a sustained pattern of multinational training that aligns land and sea forces, enhances command and control processes, and strengthens logistical coordination in winter warfare scenarios.
Taken together, the events demonstrate an active regional security approach, with Finland, Sweden, and NATO allies building interoperability and deterrence across land and sea domains in the Baltic region.