British military in Finland exercise amid Russian threats

• Around 150 British troops have joined Finnish and US forces in Finland.
• 750 troops from the three countries participated in the four-day drill.
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• The Kremlin aggressively opposed Finland and Sweden joining Nato and has threatened them with sanctions.

Around 150 British troops have joined Finnish and US forces in Finland for a “high-readiness exercise.”

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), 750 troops from the three countries participated in the four-day drill.

It comes just weeks after Nato signed an accession pact with Finland to begin the process of joining the military alliance.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Finland and Sweden, which had been neutral for years, applied to join Nato.

The Kremlin has aggressively opposed Finland and Sweden joining Nato and has threatened them with sanctions if they do so. Finland and Russia have an 830-mile (1,340-kilometer) border.

According to the Ministry of Defence, British troops located in Estonia were flown to Finland aboard Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters as part of the drill.

The British forces were in Estonia as part of the British Army’s Project Unified Stance, which involves troops participating in a series of drills across Europe in collaboration with Nato and partners.

“Our soldiers, sailors, and aviators have had a warm welcome in Finland over the previous few months,” said Wing Commander Stephen Boyle, the UK defence attaché in Helsinki.

“Exercise Vigilant Fox is the latest activity in an ongoing series of events across the domains.

“As Finland moves towards full Nato Membership, we will continue to seek opportunities like this to show solidarity with Finland, learn from each other and improve our ability to operate together.”

Exercise Vigilant Fox, according to Defence Minister James Heappey, “demonstrated the strength and interoperability of our armed forces with our US and Finnish friends.”

He noted that it confirms the UK’s commitment to the Baltic Sea region’s defence and security.

This latest exercise comes after the Ministry of Defence disclosed that six Royal Air Force fighter jets travelled to Finland and Sweden for joint training exercises.

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