Finland has announced the establishment of a NATO command base in Mikkeli, located less than 200 kilometers from the Russian border. Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen stated on September 27, 2024, that this move sends a clear signal to Russia regarding Finland's commitment to NATO and the importance of NATO for Finnish defense. The new base will house personnel from various countries and aims to enhance the synergy between national defense management and NATO's defense management.
This development comes nearly a year and a half after Finland joined NATO on April 4, 2023, marking the end of its 75-year period of neutrality. Following Finland's accession, NATO's border with Russia has doubled to 2,600 kilometers. Additionally, in June, NATO defense ministers agreed to deploy rotational forward land forces (FLF) in Finland to bolster security for the alliance's eastern members.
Häkkänen noted that further details regarding the timeline for the base's operations will be announced later. Reports also indicated that Finland may host a NATO armored brigade, comprising 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers, to counter external threats. Furthermore, Scandinavian countries are working on creating a military transport corridor from Norwegian ports to Finland.