NATO to deploy armored brigade in Finland to protect against Russia, – media

An armored brigade of 4-5 thousand people will be stationed in Finland.

NATO is planning to deploy an armored brigade to Finland to protect the country. According to the Finnish publication Iltalehti , the brigade, numbering approximately 4,000–5,000 soldiers, will be stationed in the city of Mikkeli, which is just over 100 kilometers from the Russian border.

NATO sources told Iltalehti that decisions on the matter have already been made, and NATO and Finland will publicly and officially announce the establishment of NATO headquarters in Mikkeli in the coming weeks.

It is noted that weapons for the NATO armored brigade will also be stored in Finland, including armored vehicles.

“The Finnish Defence Forces and the national leadership have concluded that Finland needs the presence of soldiers from NATO countries on Finnish soil to enhance preventive deterrence. NATO brigade officers, soldiers who guard and service weapons, and soldiers responsible for troop logistics will be permanently present in Finland,” the statement said.

It is noted that NATO considers the brigade’s ground forces unit as a combat unit capable of delivering a strike that has a preventive effect. NATO ground forces brigades also protect Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

NATO strengthens borders

Lithuania has begun construction of a base for German troops 20 kilometers from the Belarusian border as part of NATO efforts to strengthen the border.

The base will house up to 4,000 combat-ready German troops. This will be the first permanent foreign deployment of German troops since World War II.

The base will operate near the capital Vilnius and just 20 km from Russia’s ally Belarus. It will store and service tanks and other equipment, and will also have shooting ranges.

(c)UNIAN 2024