Brit troops deploy to Helsinki as Finland weighs up joining Nato to deter Russia

11 May 2022, 10:55 | Updated: 11 May 2022, 16:59

By Charlotte Lynch

@charlotterlynch

Boris Johnson will meet with Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö in Helsinki this evening, as Finland and Sweden are expected to make bids to join NATO this week.

A total 8,000 British troops deploy to Finland and neighbouring countries as Russia threatens to strengthen its military presence in the Baltic region should the previously neutral country join NATO.

Russia has threatened “military and political repercussions” if the Nordic countries decide to join the military alliance. The head of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said last month it would force Russia to strengthen its military presence in the Baltic region, with cyberattacks also feared.

NATO has made clear Sweden and Finland would be warmly welcomed to the alliance, as public support for the move in Finland has risen sharply in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The latest poll from Finnish broadcaster YLE, published on Monday, showed Finnish support for joining NATO has soared to 76%.

British troops take part in military exercises in Finland

LBC’s reporter Charlotte Lynch was given exclusive access to some of the 8,000 British troops being deployed to countries including Finland and North Macedonia this Summer, as they took part Exercise Arrow drills in Säkylä in Western Finland with Finnish and US soldiers.

The UK is also sending 72 Challenger 2 tanks, 12 AS90 tracked artillery guns and 120 Warrior armoured fighting vehicles to training exercises over the next few months.

The war drills had been planned months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but this is the biggest number of troops and armoury the UK has provided to take part in such a training exercise.

The troops from B Squadron of the Queen’s Royal Hussars are halfway through a two-week-long embed into a Finnish Armoured Brigade and have moved to Säkylä where they were joined by LBC’s reporter Charlotte Lynch.

Major George Trypanas, B Squadron leader of the Queen’s Royal Hussars, said “there’s 3,500 troops from five different nations taking part in this exercise.

“The British Army has a history of being around the world, and for us soldiers we are professional. We’re excited to be out here working with a new environment and a new army.”

Read more: Russian nukes could destroy Nato countries 'in half an hour', warns Kremlin space boss

Captain Mäntylä, who is the assistant exercise director and planner for Exercise Arrow 22, told LBC: “Our main reason is to train so that we are never used. But if we someday had to use this in real combat, it would be better how we do things.”

LBC gets a tour of British Challenger 2 tank in Finland

As test shots fired nearby Aiden Baxter, US Army Outlaw Troop 1st Platoon leader, he told LBC: “Something the Finnish counterparts here are really big on is training in the most difficult thing you can do.

“You don’t understand how your 60 pound rucksack feels on your back for 20 kilometres until you’ve walked 20 kilometres with your 60 pounds on your back.”

2nd Platoon leader Nicky Manitzas told LBC: “We can’t control what’s happening in the World right now, all we can do is control what’s happening at our level – lethality and readiness at our level”.