Contents tagged with Finland
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Finnish PM: Sanctions on Russia can be lifted only after Minsk agreements are implemented
The Prime Minister of Finland, Juha Sipilä, stated that negotiations on lifting the EU’s sanctions against Russia will be held only after the implementation of the Minsk agreements, as was reported by the Yle broadcasting company.
Sipilä was skeptical about the possible abolition of the EU sanctions against Russia and due to the lack of progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
Finland, according to the Prime Minister, fully supports the common EU line in this regard.
"The EU …
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Finland made a joint proposal with Estonia to procure howitzers from South Korea
The Minister of Defense of Finland, Jussi Niinistö reported that his agency proposed the joint procurement of K-9 Thunder 155-mm howitzers. As he said in his interview with Helsingin Sanomat, currently, the Finnish Defense Forces are replacing weapons previously purchased from the Soviet Union and they intend to purchase the new howitzers from South Korean company Samsung Techwin.
Weapon test firings were held two weeks ago at the Rovajärvi artillery practice range. “Now, when we discuss …
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Finland reported the presence unknown drones near its military facilities
During exercises in Finland, unidentified drones were observed near military facilities, as reported by YLE citing Colonel Vesa Mäntylä from the Defence Forces’ operations division of the General Staff of Finland. He did not say what type of drones or whether they were Russian.
As reported by YLE, military exercises in Sweden were stopped earlier due to the emergence of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle).
In May, Poland reported that in 2015, Russian drones violated the air space of the country …
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Finland holds large naval drills in the Baltic Sea
The MEPU-16 naval drills, which are the main drills conducted by the Finnish Naval Forces in 2016, started on Wednesday in the Gulf of Finland and the Archipelago Sea, as reported by the Finnish Broadcasting Company. 2,700 people, including 900 professional soldiers, will take part in the naval drills.
The Commander of the Finnish Navy, Mika Niemi, stated that there are approximately 1,400 recruits and 400 reservists taking part in the exercises. In addition about 30 warships, including a Hä …
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Finland is concerned that Russia is buying Finnish property for military purposes
The Finnish Security Intelligence Service suspects that the real estate acquired by foreigners might be used for military purposes.
This was reported by the Finnish Iltalehti newspaper referring to the report of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service which was reportedly sent for review to the parliament of Finland.
“These steps can be a part of the preparation to exert influence in critical situations. The concern is about land transactions which don’t have any business logic behind them,” …
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The Presidents of Finland and Estonia don’t exclude imposing new sanctions against Russia
During a press conference in Helsinki, the Presidents of Finland and Estonia, Sauli Niinistö and Kersti Kaljulaid, stated they have not excluded imposing additional sanctions against Russia due to its actions in Syria, reported Postimees news agency. According to the President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, who is in Finland on a State visit, what is happening in Syria is the largest humanitarian disaster of our time.
Kaljulaid noted that, according to the international community, if sanctions …
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Finland begins large-scale air force exercise
The annual large-scale exercises of the Finnish Air Force began on Monday, October 10, 2016 as reported by the Finnish Broadcasting Company, Yle.
The exercises, referred to as ‘Ruska,’ are the largest Air Force exercises of the year. They include 2,600 participants, as well as 1,600 reservists and thousands of Air Force soldiers and airmen.
For the first time, soldiers and aircraft from the Swedish Air Force will also participate in this five-day exercise. As stated by the Lieutenant Colonel …
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US and Finland sign cooperation agreement on defense development
Finland and the United States have signed a declaration to cooperate in the field of defense development, Yle reported.
The document notes that the defense cooperation between Finland and the United States is one of the main factors of stability in the Baltic Sea region and in northern Europe.
“The US presence in the Baltic Sea region contributes to stability in the region,” the document stated.
According to the declaration, Finland and the United States will increase the number of joint …
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Finland suspects that a Russian Su-27 violated its airspace
The press service of the Finnish Ministry of Defense reported that a Russian Su-27 fighter jet allegedly violated the airspace of Finland on October 6th. “The incident took place at 4:43 PM local time over the Gulf of Finland to the south of Porvoo city,” the statement says. The Ministry emphasized that an unidentified aircraft allegedly flew over Finnish territory for about one minute. Finnish Air Force jets were scrambled to intercept and identify it.
The Finnish Border Guard is currently …
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Finland says even if Russia objects it is their responsibility to assist MH17 investigation
Finland has an obligation to cooperate in the investigation of the crash of flight МН17 in eastern Ukraine, a Finnish politician and Chairman of the Opposition Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP), Antti Rinne, believes.
According to the politician, this is a serious crime, and that’s why Holland, who is leading the international investigation, sought the assistance of his country.
“On the other hand, there are weapon supply contracts and these contracts have limits,” he said, as YLE …