Europe

Home page

Europe

NATO Land Forces headquarters opened on Finland-Russia border

03 October 2025 16:51 (UTC +04:00)

Today, in the city of Mikkeli, Finland, located 300 km from St. Petersburg, the official opening of NATO’s Land Forces headquarters took place, said Finland’s Minister of Defence, Antti Häkkänen on his X account, APA reports.

“In the fall of 2023, we set our first task as a NATO member — to ensure the establishment of NATO’s headquarters in Finland. In June 2024, at the NATO defence ministers’ meeting, our goal was approved. Now, one year later, we are opening the headquarters in Finland,” the defence minister said at the ceremony.

Häkkänen noted that the activities of the headquarters will strengthen NATO's security and, at the same time, enhance Finland's security.

In the statement of the Ministry of Defence of Finland, it was noted that the headquarters will plan and coordinate the activities of NATO Land Forces in Northern Europe: “Under normal conditions, the headquarters will be responsible for conducting NATO exercises and other events, while in emergency situations, it will plan and manage land operations and defense in the High North.”