NEW YORK, November 7. /TASS/. Finland is studying the experience of the Ukrainian conflict and considering the possibility of building anti-tank fortifications along its border with Russia, Bloomberg reported, citing Lieutenant General Pasi Valimaki, commander of the Finnish Army.
He pointed to Finland’s harsh climate conditions. "If we build fortifications and dig anti-tank ditches or obstacles as deep as those in Ukraine, how long does it take before our environment turns them into artificial ponds?" Valimaki told the agency.
The Finnish military official also stressed the importance of establishing supply lines for troops on the front line in the event of a protracted conflict, while adding that Finland does not want "a war of attrition". "What I would like Finland to have is the ability to scale for mass-production in large volumes - production for readiness and daily training consumption that can be maintained in peacetime and scaled up tenfold in crisis and conflict," Valimaki said.
In Valimaki’s view, the Finnish Army, as part of NATO’s deterrence efforts on its eastern flank, must be capable of striking missile and drone launch systems before they can be used against Finnish territory.
Some politicians and military officials in the West regularly say they fear that Russia could attack NATO member states in the coming years. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club that Russia threatens no one and has no intention of attacking anyone in 2029, 2030 or 2050.