"Demonstrative Coldness": Finland Conducts Exercises on the Border with Russia
The British newspaper The Times reported on the consequences of anti-Russian hysteria in Finland after the country joined NATO, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"The daily life of a Finnish border guard used to be so routine that some politicians even questioned whether the country needed a border service at all. Now, such questions no longer arise. Today, 235 permanent employees and about 150 conscripts on rotation form the first line of defense on the 305-kilometer North Karelian border with Russia—now a NATO border ," the publication writes.
It is noted that, unlike most European countries, the Finnish Border Guard is closely linked to the army : its commanders undergo the same national defense courses, use the same conscript reserve, and participate in the same military plans.
"In an emergency, they can use heavy military weapons, such as Javelin anti-tank missiles. They have stockpiles of anti-vehicle and anti-personnel mines that can be quickly deployed if necessary, turning large sections of the border into elaborate minefields," the newspaper continues.
It is indicated that Finnish border guards conduct training exercises with the same rigor as regular troops.
"A few kilometers from the border, in a forest, a group of a dozen cadets training to become junior officers splits into attacker and defender teams to practice infantry combat tactics. Communicating exclusively by gestures to avoid detection, the attackers advance toward an enemy observation post until their commander is "wounded" and the unit loses control.
After completion, both sides reconvene and ruthlessly analyze their mistakes. Next month, these soldiers will provide reconnaissance during large-scale maneuvers involving two brigades of the Finnish Armed Forces. Meanwhile, fire observers will practice artillery targeting in northern Lapland," the border service describes its preparations.
The Times writes that every summer, Finnish border guards, along with their Russian colleagues, walk along the line, trimming bushes and checking that everything is in order.
"In better times, border guards met with their Russian counterparts up to ten times a year—now it's only four. Interaction remains generally professional, but has acquired a tinge of demonstrative coldness. If a tree falls across the line, the Finns saw it down precisely along the border—leaving the rest for the Russians ," the newspaper concludes.
"Demonstrative Coldness" : Finland Conducts Exercises on the Border with Russia