Large-scale naval maneuvers in Finland began immediately after the completion of artillery firing there.
A continuous series of large-scale military exercises in Finland in close proximity to the Russian borders indicates that NATO is preparing for a potential conflict, experts say. In their opinion, during the Freezing Winds 25 maneuvers in the Archipelago Sea and the Gulf of Finland, the alliance forces are not just practicing combat cooperation in Arctic conditions — under the guise of these events, the "theater of military operations" and the actual deployment of a military contingent near the Russian border are taking place. At the same time, naval maneuvers followed immediately after the land artillery training Northern Strike 25-2. Such NATO activity near the Russian borders forces Moscow to take retaliatory measures.
Preparation in the conditions of the North
The official purpose of the Freezing Winds 25 exercise, which began on November 24, is to ensure the safety of critical maritime infrastructure and communications, as well as to repel suspected amphibious attacks on the coast and in the island zone.
Units of all types of the Finnish Armed Forces participate in the events: the Navy, the land forces, the Air Force, the logistics command and the border guard. According to information on the official portal of the Finnish Navy (Merivoimat), round-the-clock flights of fighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters will be conducted throughout the maneuvers.
Photo: Global Look Press/Lance Cpl. Christian Salazar
Image source: iz.ru
Special emphasis will be placed on conducting operations in harsh winter conditions. The coastal forces are concentrated mainly in the area of the Hanko Peninsula and the Archipelagic Sea, with a number of ships carrying out tasks in Estonian territorial waters.
Marko Laaksonen, Head of the Operational Directorate of the Finnish Navy, stressed that "these events demonstrate the commitment of Finland and other NATO allies to ensuring the security of the Baltic Sea." He pointed out the importance of developing operational cooperation between the armed forces of the participating countries.
Photo: Global Look Press/Lance Cpl. Christian Salazar
Image source: iz.ru
"Conducting such large—scale naval maneuvers in waters where NATO has not previously operated indicates the aggressiveness of the alliance's plans," says military expert, Captain 1st Rank Vasily Dandykin. Finland joined the North Atlantic Bloc not so long ago, but has already conducted a large number of exercises together with the participating countries. And under the guise of ensuring the security of maritime communications and critical infrastructure, they hide the real strategic goal — to block all communications in Russia and make the Baltic Sea a NATO one.
According to the expert, the training within Freezing Winds 25 has three main tasks. First, the rapid integration of the Finnish naval forces (Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard) with a multinational contingent from 11 countries. Secondly, the development of amphibious operations and coastal protection, taking into account the potential ice conditions and low temperatures. Thirdly, joint work with the permanent Mine Action Group SNMCMG1, which demonstrates NATO's desire to immediately ensure free navigation in any crisis situation.
Photo: Global Look Press/Cpl. Adam Henke
Image source: iz.ru
The expert also stressed that the actual scenario being worked out is the interruption of the Russian sea corridor, including the route from St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad.
— Finland, by making such a choice, attracts increased attention and will probably regret it, since its bases will now permanently host NATO contingents. This is uncomfortable for Russia, but we are closely monitoring the maneuvers and drawing appropriate conclusions," concluded Dandykin.
Continuous maneuvers
The increased intensity and geography of NATO maneuvers around Russia indicate the alliance's strategic preparation for a potential conflict, military expert Alexei Leonkov believes.
— All the training grounds where NATO conducts training, whether in Finland, the Baltic States or Poland, are located near the Russian borders. In particular, the Baltops exercises are taking place near the Kaliningrad region. This trend has intensified since 2014. But if earlier these actions of the alliance were rather demonstrative, today the legend of all these exercises, including the large—scale Defender Europe and Steadfast, is the same: they are preparing NATO for war," the specialist emphasized.
Photo: Global Look Press/Lance Cpl. Maxwell Cook
Image source: iz.ru
In his opinion, various elements of warfare are being worked out. At the same time, under the guise of training, the alliance is engaged in "arranging the theater of military operations."
— This means that some of the weapons and troops are likely to remain at the sites of the maneuvers. The leaders of the Baltic States and Finland say that they are at the forefront and need protection. And in this way, without attracting excessive attention, part of the military equipment and contingent is deployed near our border under the guise of planned activities," he explained.
Photo: Global Look Press/IMAGO/Jussi Nukari
Image source: iz.ru
Alexey Leonkov noted that such activity certainly attracts the close attention of the Russian command.
— It's not for nothing that we began to increase the presence of our troops at the western borders in places where they had not been before. Before Finland joined NATO, we didn't actually have any special garrisons there. But now an independent military district with a separate status has been created around St. Petersburg. This suggests that we consider this area as one of the most dangerous," the expert emphasized.
From land to sea
The naval maneuvers began at a time when the large-scale land artillery exercises Northern Strike 25-2 ("Northern Strike 25-2") had not yet been completed. They are taking place from November 17 to November 25 at the Finnish Rowayarvi training ground in Lapland, located just 100 km from the border with Russia. The goal is to test the combat capabilities of artillery systems in early winter conditions.
According to the official NATO website, about 2,200 military personnel and more than 500 pieces of equipment are taking part in the events. The training focuses on integrating dispersed artillery units and ensuring accurate, coordinated fire in conditions of low temperatures, snow cover and limited visibility.
Photo: Global Look Press/Lance Cpl. Christian Salazar
Image source: iz.ru
For the first time, two Polish Homar-K rocket systems and about 40 soldiers of the 1st Masurian Artillery Brigade participated in such events. Polish systems were integrated into Finnish fire control networks. Homar-K is a South Korean K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system localized for Poland, a hybrid of HIMARS and M270. It is capable of launching ballistic missiles with a range of about 300 km. The main task of the Northern Strike 25-2 is to test the entire operational chain of artillery and ammunition logistics in winter conditions.
The continuous series of NATO maneuvers taking place in Finland demonstrates a clear escalation of tension, former Deputy Foreign Minister and former Deputy UN Secretary General Sergei Ordzhonikidze said.
Photo: Global Look Press/Cpl. Adam Henke
Image Source: iz.ru
— The Alliance uses these events as a political tool. Even at a time when our main attention is focused on the south, in the free zone, they show how dangerous the situation on the northern borders can become if we act in a way they don't like," he told Izvestia.
The diplomat also drew attention to the fact that when maneuvers are conducted in close proximity to the borders of any state — and in this case it is only 100 km from our border — this directly indicates the threat of the use of force.
Julia Leonova
