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/TTXVN

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

The brigade will include NATO troops from neighboring 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 long-standing policy of neutrality and formally joined NATO in April 2023, citing concerns about the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Moscow responded by announcing it would adjust its defense posture in northwest Russia. However, officials have also indicated that they do not see Helsinki’s participation in the alliance as an existential threat.

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

Mr. Hakkanen stressed that the bloc's force 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 infantry headquarters. Accordingly, the NATO infantry headquarters in Finland will be responsible for directing ground combat 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 Norfolk Command, headquartered 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 East Command, headquartered in the Netherlands.

For her part, on August 22, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow has seen a significant increase in military activity in Finland after the country joined NATO. She noted that Helsinki is acting in accordance with Western policy, 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