Finland is preparing defences along its eastern border in case of Russian attack
Pekka Toveri, the former head of intelligence for the Finnish Armed Forces, has stated that the country is preparing to rapidly erect defensive fortifications along its eastern border in the event of a Russian attack.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported in an article by Yle.
Finland is relying on the terrain and the rapid construction of fortifications
Finland has already partially fortified its eastern border, following the example of the Baltic states and Poland. At the same time, plans are in place to construct large-scale defence structures only in the event of an attack.
Unlike its neighbouring countries, Finland did not begin fortifying its border on a large scale in advance. According to Pekka Toveri, the terrain makes any advance by Russian troops more difficult.
"In Finland, the terrain and climate favour the defender more than the attacker. Launching an attack on Finnish terrain is quite difficult," the military officer noted.
The fortifications will be assembled from prefabricated components
According to Tovere, Finland has been developing its capacity to build defensive fortifications throughout the post-war period. The country has learnt its latest lessons from the war in Ukraine.
Nowadays, Finnish defences consist mainly of prefabricated components. These can be quickly assembled at predetermined locations should the situation require it.
Earlier, the Polish military demonstrated a section of an engineering barrier on the border with Russia, which is being built as part of the ‘Eastern Shield’ programme.
Prior to this, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland had announced their intention to apply to the European Union for funding for a network of bunkers, barriers, distribution lines and military depots along their borders with Russia and Belarus.
