NATO plans to deploy armored brigade near Russia

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is planning to deploy an armored brigade in Finland as a deterrent against Russia, Iltalehti newspaper reported on August 22, citing sources in the US-led military bloc and the government in Helsinki.

Soldiers participate in a NATO exercise in Korzeniewo, northern Poland, March 4, 2024. Illustration photo: PAP/VNA

The brigade, which could be between 4,000 and 5,000 strong, will be based in Mikkeli, southeastern Finland, the newspaper reported. Mikkeli has a population of 51,000 and is just 140km from the Russian border.

The brigade will include NATO troops from neighbouring Sweden and Norway, sources said.

The Finnish government has decided on the need to deploy NATO troops from other countries to “strengthen defensive deterrence” against Russia.

The decision to establish NATO's military headquarters in Mikkeli will be officially announced to the public in the coming weeks, Iltalehti newspaper reported.

Finland abandoned its longstanding policy of neutrality and formally joined NATO in April 2023, citing concerns over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Moscow responded by announcing it would adjust its defense posture in northwestern Russia, but officials have also indicated that they do not view Helsinki’s participation in the bloc as an existential threat.

On August 21, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen told national television channel Yle that Helsinki was in talks with several NATO countries about deploying troops to Finland, even if the country did not face an immediate military threat.

Mr. Hakkanen stressed that the bloc's forces must be "comprehensive and large enough to be fully present in crisis situations."

According to Mr. Hakkanen, soldiers from Finland and other NATO countries could hold large-scale military exercises if they notice a “tense atmosphere on the border” with Russia, among other activities.

Earlier in June, Mr. Hakkanen also announced that Finland would be the location of a new NATO ground command. Accordingly, the NATO ground force command in Finland will be responsible for directing ground operations in Northern Europe.

According to the official, under NATO's new command structure, all Nordic countries will be under the command of the Joint Force Command Norfolk, based in the US, which is responsible for defense in the North Atlantic. Under the previous command structure, new NATO members Finland and Sweden remained under the command of the Joint Force Command East, based in the Netherlands.

For her part, on August 22, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow has recorded a significant increase in military activity in Finland after the country joined NATO. She noted that Helsinki is acting in accordance with the policy of the West, which is trying to cause Russia a strategic defeat.

According to VNA

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nato-du-dinh-trien-khai-lu-doan-thiet-giap-gan-nga-post755350.html