August M
While Rovaniemi is best known internationally for its Christmas tourism, defence planners now view the surrounding wilderness as one of Nato’s most important northern training corridors. According to The Guardian, recent winter drills brought close to 1,000 Finnish, Swedish and British personnel into the region, where heavy snow and sub-zero winds shaped every part of the exercises. Officers told the newspaper that the harsh terrain offers a realistic environment for practising joint operations as tensions with Russia continue to influence military planning across northern Europe.
The Arctic north is rapidly becoming one of Europe’s most strategically sensitive regions.
Finland, which joined Nato in 2023, now shares the alliance’s longest land border with Russia — nearly 900 miles, including extensive stretches through sparsely populated Lapland.
Senior Finnish officers told The Guardian that Russian forces are strengthening their presence across the border and in the Kola peninsula, home to the world’s largest concentration of nuclear weapons.
Tourism meets tension
Rovaniemi, marketed globally as the hometown of Santa Claus, sits at the centre of this geopolitical shift. Its Christmas attractions — from reindeer safaris to Santa’s subterranean ‘home cavern’ — now coexist with NATO aircraft and troop movements, reports The Guardian
Nato’s northern front
According to The Guardian, recent exercises — including Lapland Steel 25 and Northern Strike 225 — brought together thousands of Finnish, Swedish, Polish and British troops, signalling stepped-up preparation along the alliance’s northern perimeter
Officials said these drills aim to demonstrate capability and discourage any escalation with Russia.
Sources: The Guardian
