NATO holds major exercises in the Arctic

2024-11-20 18:30:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Thousands of NATO soldiers are taking part in artillery exercises in the Finnish part of the Arctic, which is seen by many as a signal to neighboring Russia about its aggression against Ukraine.

In the snowy landscape of Finland's Lapland region, the sound of cannons and rockets can be heard as 3,600 soldiers from the United States, Sweden, Great Britain, France and other NATO member countries conduct exercises that will last throughout November. .

They are part of the largest NATO artillery exercise in Europe, named Dynamic Front 25, which also includes exercises in Estonia, Germany, Romania, and Poland, where a total of about 5,000 soldiers participate.

Joel Linnainmaki of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs said the massive drills should be seen as a message to Russia, with which Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer border line.

"These NATO exercises aim to prove to other countries, in this case especially Russia, that the alliance is united and able to protect its members," he said.

These are the first large-scale exercises being conducted in Finland since the Nordic country joined the alliance last year, following Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Colonel Janne Makitalo, who leads the Dynamic Front 25 exercise in Finland, said the main goal is to train and increase operational interoperability between the alliance's artillery units as well as prepare troops for the harsh conditions in the Arctic, now that Norway, Sweden and Finland are countries NATO members.

"Of course, the message is sent that we are able to train together and that we are strengthening our capacities," he told reporters.

"Artillery is essentially the 'king and queen' of the battlefield, as we have seen from the experience of fighting in Ukraine," said Mr. Makitalo.

He dismissed the idea that NATO could provoke Moscow by displaying its military might on Russia's doorstep.

"This is not any kind of show of force," he insisted.

That said, Finland's membership in the alliance added "280,000 soldiers to NATO's northern flank," he said./ VOA