Finland holds largest civil defense exercise since World War II, prepares for possible Russian attack

Finland’s largest civil defense exercise since World War II is being held in Kuopio. More than 2,000 volunteers and students are taking part, with the aim of testing how citizens and authorities would respond to a serious crisis.

According to the exercise scenario, the country faces cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, disruptions to electricity and water supplies, as well as the threat of missile strikes from Russia.

The training also includes the use of underground shelters. A shelter in Kuopio has been adapted for the exercise, with a capacity of up to 7,000 people.

One of the main objectives is for citizens to be able to cope independently with emergency situations for at least 72 hours if electricity, water or other services are cut off.

Children and students are also taking part in the activity and are being instructed on what to do during an emergency. Finnish authorities emphasize that the country’s security depends not only on the military, but also on the population’s ability to respond in times of crisis.

Finland shares a border of more than 1,300 kilometers with Russia and has been a member of NATO since 2024. The war in Ukraine has prompted Finnish authorities to further intensify civil and military preparedness measures.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, authorities have recorded an increase in cyber incidents and suspicious activity near energy infrastructure. However, not all of these incidents have been linked to Russia.