NATO drills on Finland's border 'increase the risk of military incidents', Russia warns as alliance prepares for Nordic wargames

NATO drills set to take place close to the Russian border in Finland 'increase the risk of military incidents', Moscow has warned as the alliance prepares for largescale wargames in the Nordic country.

'NATO military exercises near the Russian borders are provocative in nature,' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, adding: 'Their task is to exert military pressure on the Russian Federation through a demonstration of force.' 

Finland first applied for NATO membership as it sought to shore up its security situation regarding its neighbour following the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin's forces in 2022.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said yesterday that joining the alliance a year ago has transformed his country into a 'front-line state,' given that it has doubled the military bloc's border with Russia. Finland is due to host exercises from April 26. 

Over recent months, member states including the UK have been conducting wargames across northern and eastern Europe - with tens of thousands of troops partaking in Steadfast Defender, the largest NATO exercise in decades.

Over 90,000 troops from all 32 NATO Allies will be deployed in the large-scale NATO maneuver 'Steadfast Defender 2024'. Pictured: German armed forces take part last month

'NATO military exercises near the Russian borders are provocative in nature,' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (pictured) told state media

A fleet of more than a dozen Apache, Wildcat and Chinook helicopters assemble to take-off from Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk for training in Finland and Estonia on Exercise Steadfast Defender 24, on April 23, 2024

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) and Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak address a press conference at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade on April 23, 2024

While it has not explicitly named Russia as its potential foe, Exercise Steadfast Defender 24 is testing and refining the alliance's plans for reinforcing European defences against a 'near-peer adversary'.

It has been which is described as the 'largest NATO exercise since the Cold War', with around 20,000 British personnel involved and among 90,000 troops from all 32 members of the alliance.

The training exercise in Finland has been named Exercise Arrow, and the Finnish Ministry of Defence said in a statement that 'a significant number of soldiers from the nations of the alliance will participate.'

Finland, which became the 31st NATO member in April 2023, has a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) land border with Russia that runs mostly through thick forests in the south and rugged landscape in the Arctic north.

President Stubb was visiting neighboring Sweden, which joined NATO last month, and spoke at a joint news conference in Stockholm with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. 

For decades, the two countries embraced a policy of neutrality, refusing to take sides in wars or join any military alliance, but that changed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

'Sweden and Finland therefore not only share a common history. We very much share a common future,' Kristersson said at the news conference. His country became the 32nd NATO member in March. 

'Finland and Sweden play a key role in promoting peace. It sounds paradoxical, but that is precisely why we want a strong military and why we joined NATO,' he added. 

Earlier in the day, Stubb, who was elected the Nordic country's president in February, said joining NATO 'was the final step in adopting the Western community of values' for both countries. The two countries joined the European Union in 1995.

Finland first applied for NATO membership as it sought to shore up its security situation regarding its neighbour following the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin's forces in 2022

The two states' membership of NATO will have mounted pressure on the Kremlin as the alliance edges towards Russia's border and increases its influence in the region.

Their accession to the alliance added the final puzzle piece around the shores of the Baltic Sea - a crucial maritime gateway for Russia, making it easier for NATO to exert control and reinforce its vulnerable Baltic states. 

'If you look at a map then geographically the Baltic Sea is becoming a NATO lake, yes,' Minna Alander, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, said earlier this year. 'But there is still work to do for NATO.'

As the threat from Russia continues to loom, Rishi Sunak and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz committed to closer defence cooperation today, with both leaders saying Europe must unite to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

The Prime Minister hailed closer ties with Germany a day after announcing he would raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP a year by 2030 in what he said was a challenge to other European countries to follow suit.

It comes as a fleet of nine British Army Apache attack helicopters is headed to Finland to join the training mission there.

Rishi Sunak is holding talks with the German Chancellor today as he urges NATO allies to follow Britain's example on defence spending

The Apaches, worth £40 million each, will fly strike missions in support of large-scale Finnish army training, before heading to Estonia for an exercise where they will be joined by more British aircraft.

Four Wildcat reconnaissance helicopters and two RAF Chinook support helicopters, which took flight from Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk together with the Apaches on Wednesday morning, will just go to Estonia and will spend a longer time there.

The exercise in Estonia - with all three types of helicopter - is called Exercise Swift Response.

The helicopters will fly and fight together in the Estonian exercise under the command of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, the British Army's global response force.

A pilot prepares an Apache helicopter as a fleet of more than a dozen helicopters prepare to take off

British airborne forces are training with their Estonian, Polish and American counterparts on the latter exercise to practice seizing a foothold against armed opposition.

Air assault operations will see troops and equipment lifted by Chinooks, with the Wildcats' surveillance equipment working with the Apaches' advanced suite of sights and sensors to find and strike targets on the battlefield.

Around 130 vehicles - from fuel tankers to Land Rovers - are travelling by road and rail to the Baltics, with the majority of the 500 air crew, engineers and ground crew that operate the helicopters flying out.

The two leaders watched a parade before holding their discussions today

Lieutenant Colonel Dave Lambert, 4 Regiment Army Air Corps Battlegroup Commander, said: 'Exercise Steadfast Defender is the largest Nato exercise since the Cold War.'

He said it is 'very easy to focus on events in Ukraine' but that 'our role within Nato is to be ready for all threats'.

Lt Col Lambert said it will be the first time the new Apache AH-64E has deployed on overseas operations for the British Army, and added he was 'really looking forward to seeing what it's capable of'.

He continued: 'This is one of the largest overseas helicopter deployments we have done outside of Iraq and Afghanistan - and almost certainly will be the largest thing that most of our people will have done.

'It provides a powerful contribution to support Nato training on Steadfast Defender.

'Led by the state-of-the-art Apache AH-64E, the capabilities we deliver are battle-winning and contribute fully to the combined arms battle.

'The significance of what we are doing is matched by the demanding nature of the deployment - we're deploying helicopters and everything we need to operate them across Europe, to build relationships with our allies, understand their capabilities and procedures, to then plan and carry out missions together.'

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'National security is the first duty of government, which is why we have the capabilities and international alliances in place to protect the UK from both current and future threats.

Aircrew wait as a fleet of more than a dozen Apache, Wildcat and Chinook helicopters assemble to take-off together from Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk

'In a more dangerous world, this deployment shows that the UK is once again demonstrating how we improve Nato's ability to meet the challenge of modern threats.

'The cutting-edge new Apache helicopters will join 20,000 British soldiers, sailors and aviators on Exercise Steadfast Defender, sending an unmistakeable message of our commitment to the alliance.'

The helicopters had been due to set out on Tuesday, with their departure postponed by one day until Wednesday due to adverse weather.