NATO gathers thousands of soldiers near the Russian border

At the NATO exercise “Sword 26,” there are currently around 15,500 soldiers participating in the exercise and its many activities.

Some of these activities are taking place in Finland, where troops are training under demanding conditions to strengthen cooperation between allied forces.

Participants come from numerous countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Italy, Hungary, and Finland. At the same time, approximately 1,100 military vehicles and other units are involved in the exercise, according to Wiadomości.

Harsh Conditions

The training area is located in a region characterized by vast forests and limited transportation infrastructure.

The soldiers are training in everything from mobility and logistics to operations in terrain where freedom of movement may be restricted.

The “Northern Star” exercise alone brings together more than 5,000 soldiers. Among them are over 100 soldiers from the Polish Army’s 6th Airborne Brigade, Wiadomości reports.

Historical Experience

The Finnish border region has previously played a significant role in European military history. During the Winter War of 1939–1940, Soviet forces struggled to operate effectively in the challenging terrain.

The landscape restricted the mobility of larger units and forced them to follow the road network, while Finnish forces took advantage of their extensive knowledge of the area to attack advancing columns.

Although these events took place many decades ago, the lessons learned are still considered militarily relevant. As a result, the region is now used as a training ground for NATO forces preparing to operate under similar challenging conditions, Wiadomości reports.

Finland’s Membership in NATO

The exercise is taking place only a few years after Finland joined NATO.

The country officially became a member of the defense alliance on April 4, 2023, as its 31st member state, after all member countries at the time had approved its application, according to NATO.

The decision marked a historic shift in Finnish security policy and simultaneously strengthened NATO’s presence in Northern Europe.

According to NATO’s Secretary General at the time, Jens Stoltenberg, Finland’s membership would both enhance Finland’s security and strengthen the alliance as a whole.

Sources: Wiadomości, NATO

This article is made and published by Christine Drews Sieger, who may have used AI in the preparation