Finland is stepping up its combat readiness due to the threat from Russia

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hykkänen stated that Russia is becoming increasingly active in intelligence and other areas, so the country must remain as vigilant as possible, especially this fall.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo also warned of Russia’s growing influence across Europe and described the security outlook as pessimistic.

According to Hykkänen, the Finnish Air Force, Navy, and Army are required to maintain a heightened state of combat readiness several times a week, which places a significant strain on military personnel and equipment.

In light of this, Finland has turned to Sweden for assistance in monitoring the region. Swedish Gripen fighter jets and warships will join in monitoring and defending Finnish territory at least until the end of 2026.

This enhanced cooperation is intended to help the countries prepare for potential territorial violations and other military incidents.

Source: Iltalehti

Finland has restricted air and maritime traffic due to the threat of drones.

As a reminder, Finland has restricted shipping in the Gulf of Finland due to the Russian threat.

On the morning of July 4, the Finnish Armed Forces temporarily restricted air and maritime traffic in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. These measures were implemented for security reasons.