Thread by @MikkoIsotalo

🇫🇮 made yesterday a helicopter raid and boarded the vessel suspected of destroying 🇪🇪-🇫🇮 power connection cable.

Many have published this as a police operation by 🇫🇮 SWAT team Karhuryhmä ("the Bear team").

It was not. It was a full scale SOF strike and military operation.
🧵1/7

Border Guard of 🇫🇮 trains and runs heavily armed Special Operations Forces (SOF). There is a history for this:
Åland Islands in our Southwest archipelago are a demilitarized zone according to the Paris Peace Treaty from 1947.
Our adversary, the Soviet Union demanded this.
2/7

🇫🇮 cannot have any military presence on Åland Islands according to this questionable treaty.
But the Border Guard can.

Thus, 🇫🇮 Border Guard evolved to a paramilitary fighting force, that will be integrated to the Finnish Defence Forces ("Puolustusvoimat") if a war starts.
3/7

Our Border Guard is free to operate in the Åland Islands, and is likely the the first paramilitary force to fortify them during a grey period preceeding a war. Even any surprise attack there would be likely to greeted by the armed Border Guard.
4/7

Not to even mention the fact that 🇫🇮 Border Guard is responsible for our 1300+ km (800+ miles) border with 🇷🇺. Any sensible nation would arm its border guard heavily.
5/7

🇫🇮 Border Guard has developed fully operational and heavily armed SOF capability.
They struck yesterday the Eagle S oil tanker, together with the 🇫🇮 police SWAT. Prepared for armed resistance.

Therefore, this was as close to full scale military operation as it can get.
6/7

Don't be fooled by 🇫🇮 being the happiest nation of the world.

We are not soft.

We fight, and will fight for our independence, whatever it takes.

7/7 END