The drills focus on preparing 900 of Finland’s annual 18,000 conscripts while boosting NATO interoperability, particularly with new members Finland and Sweden. Commanders say the exercises reflect rising security concerns along Finland’s 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, where hybrid pressures— including migration weaponization—have intensified since 2022. The Finnish Border Guard, normally under the Interior Ministry, is also training conscripts for wartime duties. Officials warn Russia will remain a long-term threat in the High North.