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,” the document states.
“As an example the new owner can build facilities which can be used by foreign states in critical situations such as blocking of major transport arteries or for deployment of troops,” the document points out.
The document in particular shows the increased number of such transactions performed by Russian nationals and companies.
The report points out the increased number of foreign agents that are currently present in the country. According to the Finnish Security Intelligence Service, in Finland, “the number of the foreign agents per capita is the highest compared to other European countries.”
The Finnish Security Intelligence Service is mostly suspicious of Russian nationals holding dual citizenship.
“As an example, according to the Russian law, all Russians, irrespective of their other citizenship are mandated to cooperate and assist Russian secret services," the document stated.