According to Välimäki, Russia, despite the protracted war in Ukraine, has begun rebuilding its military capabilities and replenishing equipment stocks. Finland cannot stop this rearmament, so the authorities are focusing on deterrence and want to convince the Russian military leadership that any attack is doomed to fail.
The general noted that Ukrainian forces use layered defensive lines and anti-tank barriers to hold back advancing troops. According to him, neither side has yet found a reliable way to break through such defenses and resume large-scale maneuver operations.
The length of the Russia-Finland border is 1,340 km, which is about half of NATO’s entire land border with Russia. Finnish authorities still have to determine how effective such fortifications will be in harsh northern weather conditions.
Välimäki also raised a practical objection: if anti-tank ditches are dug to the same depth as in Ukraine, natural conditions may quickly turn them into artificial ponds. According to him, Russia is already replenishing storage bases with modern T-90 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers.
Earlier, Bild reported that in Finland, amid the growing threat from Moscow, 45,000 reservists undergo annual training. They practice urban combat, drone use, and first aid on the battlefield, while civilians have access to voluntary first aid and weapons-handling courses.
According to the same publication, thousands of Finns take part in civil defense exercises practicing responses to cyberattacks, power outages, and the threat of missile strikes. With a population of 5.6 million, Finland’s army in wartime can reach 280,000 personnel.
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