According to the Russian Issue News website on May 11, large-scale military exercises participated by Sweden and the United Kingdom will be launched in Finland on May 12. Nearly 7,000 soldiers will participate in the exercise, which will practice shooting from hidden fire positions, attack helicopter operations, and use drones in the northern region.

Ukraine may not need a NATO without the United States

Ukraine may not need a NATO without the United States

It is reported that the exercise will be held at the Rovayervi training ground in the Lapland region from May 12 to 31. The site is used for the training of Finnish military artillery and is considered the largest shooting range in Western Europe, near Karelia, Russia.

According to the Finnish Army website, 350 of the soldiers participating in the exercise came from the UK and 900 were from Sweden.

The news also mentioned: "The purpose of the exercise is to exercise the skills of planning and multinational ground operations in the northern combat areas, as well as the combined use of firepower and command, reconnaissance, situational awareness."

This is not the first year that the Finnish army has conducted similar exercises with its allies. Recently, NATO has carried out consecutive exercises on the northeast flank. The "Hedgehog 2025" exercise is currently being conducted in Estonia, which kicked off on May 5.

Military expert Vadim Kojiulin believes that NATO is now trying to master the skills and knowledge they have gained in Ukraine.

"They recognize that NATO-equipped drones are outdated. Military technology has begun to develop rapidly during the special military operations. It can be said that Ukraine has become a large test site for testing modern equipment and weapons, especially drones. At present, NATO is likely to be considering forming an independent drone force, and Kiev is already doing this."

Kojiulin believes that the current exercise is not a new principle, but the exercise is now larger, which also poses a threat to Russia.

"We need to respond appropriately. At present, we will pay close attention to their actions and consider them. NATO has always claimed that it will only implement defensive courses of action, but there are also drills that are suitable for offense in their exercises."

Sergey Orchoniki, former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, emphasized that Sweden and Finland have remained neutral for many years, maintaining good-neighborly and friendly relations with the Soviet Union and later with Russia, and benefiting from it both economically and politically.

He said: "Before, there was no sign of any problem in our relationship. But now, under the influence of Britain and other Western European powers, they have taken a blatant anti-Russian stance - especially joining NATO. But what did this bring them? It was just to obey NATO's military and political leadership. It did not enhance their security, but it backfired. Russia has never posed a threat to these countries, but we have always fully supported their neutral position. We have had extensive economic ties with Finland, and so have Sweden. And we have never had any territorial appeals to these countries."

Orchonniki pointed out that Sweden suffered no losses during World War II, although the Soviet Union had information that Sweden had helped Hitler. Finland was fighting on the Nazi side at that time, including participating in the siege of Leningrad, killing hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens.

He noted that Finland and Sweden should keep in mind the lessons of the past and recognize that any hostilities against Russia will have serious consequences.

According to the Finnish Helsinki Times website on May 6, Finland will hold joint exercises with Sweden and the United Kingdom from May 12 to 31 at the Rovayervi training ground, with more than 6,500 soldiers participating.

Lieutenant Colonel Yuka Worisalmi, who directed the exercise, said that the joint exercise will continue the previous multilateral training and focus on developing command, joint firepower, intelligence and situational awareness capabilities. Military officials said the exercise was part of a broader defense cooperation with NATO allies.

The exercise comes as Russia's military situation in the Baltic region has caused regional concerns, and defense personnel expressed concerns about the possible redeployment of Russian troops after the Russian-Ukraine ceasefire.

The UK will provide attack helicopters and long-range artillery for joint fire training. Finnish and Swedish forces will operate in concert under an integrated command structure. Joint planning and execution will be carried out in a simulated combat environment.

The participating military will focus on familiarity with terrain, artillery and air force coordination, and the use of surveillance systems. The exercises are designed to improve the responsiveness and logistical integration capabilities of partner forces.