Special forces exercises attended by American military personnel have begun in Finland, a neighboring country of Russia
International special forces exercises attended by European and American military personnel will begin in Finland on August 25 and last until September 12. Approximately 1,600 people will participate in the exercises, which will take place throughout the country.
Previously, the Finnish Army announced that the "Utti" Hunt Regiment will hold an international special forces exercise named "Southern Griffin 25" from August 25 to September 12. The exercise will involve special forces from the United States and European countries as well as representatives from relevant agencies. A total of about 1,600 people will be involved in the exercise. The exercise will take place throughout Finland, covering land, air, and sea.
During the exercise, NATO's special forces will practice joint operational capabilities in the Nordic environment.
The exercise will use NH90 transport helicopters, MD500 light helicopters of the "Utti" Hunt Regiment, and F/A-18 "Hornet" fighter jets of the Finnish Air Force. Weapons systems of European countries and the United States will also participate in this exercise.
The Finnish Defence Forces announced on August 6 that the United States will actively participate in exercises in Finland and the Baltic region this year, and strengthen its military presence in the region. Finland and the United States are implementing the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA), under which the US has been granted access to 15 Finnish military facilities.
Pavel Kuznetsov, the Russian ambassador to Finland, previously told Sputnik News that since Finland joined NATO in April 2023, it has been gradually increasing the number of national exercises, with plans to hold 115 exercises by 2025. The ambassador mentioned that Finland's territory was used for the first time for a large-scale NATO exercise in 2024.
In recent years, Russia has repeatedly pointed out that NATO is conducting "unprecedented" activities near its western border, expanding initiatives and calling them "containing Russian aggression." Moscow has also repeatedly expressed concerns about NATO's expansion of its forces in Europe. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow is open to dialogue with NATO, but it must be based on equality, and at the same time, the West must abandon its approach of militarizing the European continent.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841376649175052/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.