MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. Finnish Lapland, by taking part in NATO's Lightning Strike 24 artillery exercise, is getting ready for war with Russia, says Russian military expert Alexander Stepanov, program director of the Academy of Political Sciences, senior researcher at the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

According to the Finnish Defense Forces, this is the largest NATO artillery exercise ever held in Europe.

"It will be conducted from November 4 to 28 in Finnish Lapland at the largest range in Northern Europe - Rovajarvi, 100 kilometers from the Russian border. The Lightning Strike 24 exercise is part of the Dynamic Front 25 operation under the auspices of the United States. We see systematic preparations of the enemy's military potential in our border region, systematic deployment of military infrastructure with comprehensive training of all components, including offensive systems. This is preparation for war," Stepanov told TASS.

About 3,600 servicemen from Finland, the US, Sweden, Estonia, Britain and France will take part in the drills. Stepanov specified that their official purpose is demonstration of defense capabilities in the operational area in the north in cooperation with Finland's allies and partners, as well as practicing of operational command and control.

"The US role in these maneuvers is significant. The Pentagon is tightening its grip on its European minions, as well as forming a single coherent strike contour, including through the integration of new long-range artillery and MLRS systems. Finland already operates MLRS M-270. HIMARS systems are next in line for delivery. The exercise will be a chance for artillery personnel to practice routine tasks and to test the logistics and delivery of strike systems to Finland by NATO allies, where some of them will be stationed on a permanent basis.

Lightning Strike 24 is part of Dynamic Front 25, a US-led five-country series of exercises. A total of about 5,000 soldiers from 28 countries will participate in Dynamic Front 25 drills in Finland, Estonia, Germany, Romania and Poland.