Sweden to deploy military hardware to northern Finland to boost security

MADRID, December 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Swedish authorities plan to deploy military equipment to northern Finland to bolster security on NATO’s eastern flank as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began nearly four years ago, progresses.

The commander of the Swedish armed forces, Michael Carlen, indicated that this measure would be part of increased cooperation between the parties in matters of defense and specified that these deployments would be made according to the “needs” existing on the ground.

Thus, he explained, the NATO Forward Land Forces have between 500 and 800 soldiers, a figure which, if necessary, can increase to 5,000 soldiers, according to information collected by Yle radio.

Swedish authorities have highlighted the possibility of a small deployment of people to travel to Finland on a permanent basis. Everything indicates that this contingent would be stationed in the city of Rovaniemi.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has in the past called for “solidarity” from all EU partners to defend the eastern flank against the Russian “hybrid” threat – after the latest incursions of Russian drones and fighters into the airspace of several member states.

“This is not only a problem for neighboring countries. It is also a problem for all of Europe,” he declared last October upon his arrival at the informal summit of heads of state in Denmark.