Finland's Civil Defense Drill Is Europe's Biggest in Decades

In a civil defense shelter hewn into rock, behind doors designed to withstand a nuclear or biological attack, two Finnish conscripts wearing hazmat suits and breathing masks measure radiation levels as they take part in an exercise to turn a cave into a place of safety for thousands of people. Inside, in what is normally a sports hall, hundreds of people are sleeping overnight on trestle beds. More than 2,000 people including volunteers and students are taking part in the biggest civil defense exercise in Europe since the end of World War II, the AP reports. In the scenario, critical infrastructure in the central Finnish city of Kuopio, including power and water, has been disrupted by cyberattacks, and there's the threat of missile strikes from Finland's neighbor, Russia.

The goal is for residents and local authorities to rehearse what they would do if they came under attack for real. But while underground bunkers and shelters may offer some protection from missiles, they are no defense against the campaign of sabotage and disruption that Western officials say Russia is carrying out across Europe. That effort has involved setting fires, attacking water facilities and power stations, and sending drones for sabotage into European Union airspace. Finland's border with Russia stretches more than 830 miles from the Baltic Sea up to the Arctic Circle. In 2024, along with Sweden, Finland joined NATO, following Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Until then, Finns were prepared to defend themselves against Russia largely alone.

Finland's defense, said retired Army Col. Asko Muhonen, relies not only on the military but on the mindset of citizens who would take responsibility for their country's security. Muhonen, who organized the exercise in Kuopio, said that comes partly from the system of conscription that continued in Finland even after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Not everyone is happy about doing national service, but "it's our duty to serve and protect this country like people have before us," said Jyry Pietikainen, 23, a conscript who was taught how to run the Kuopio shelter overnight. Finland also needs to learn from Ukraine, Muhonen said. While the biggest shelter in Kuopio can fit 7,000 people, Ukrainians sometimes only have a few minutes to run to a subway station or underground parking lot. So need a shelter they can reach easily that offers some form of protection—not necessarily one that can withstand a nuclear attack, he said.