Finnish navy is quite unknown even to many Finns.

However, for its size, it is very capable of its intended uses.

In the near future, however, the capability of Finnish Navy will increase considerably. 🧵 Finnish Navy has 246 ships in one Naval fleet: the Coastal Fleet.

Its core is made up of missile boats and mine layers.

Finnish Navy is specialized in coastal combat in the Finnish archipelago, so Finland has a selection of fast crew transport ships.

Finnish authorities struggled against time when they took over the Eagle S ship belonging to the Russian shadow fleet.

If the ship hadn't been moved off its course, it would have cut also another electricity cable between Finland and Estonia, Estlink 1, within half an hour. Within an hour, ship would have reached the Balticconnector gas pipeline and been able to damage it.

Gas pipeline runs between Finland and Estonia and it transfers 7.2 million cubic meters of gas per day through it.

More information about the operation of the Finnish authorities on Christmas Day:

Shortly after the cable failure was discovered, Finnish police high readiness unit landed on the Eagle S ship by air and took over the bridge.

Crew didn't have time to react this time. In other words: EAGLE S was caught red handed right on the crime scene.

Footage we have never seen in Finnish TV before, modern day Finnish Defence Forces mechanized counter attack in Konflikti (Conflict-miniseries)

Times have truly changed. Finnish artillery barrage

On 29 November 1939, Red Army was officially given an operational order to invade Finland.

The goal was to capture Viipuri in four days, and to advance to Helsinki in two weeks.

1 day left before the Soviet Union's full-scale invasion of Finland. In the north, main goal was to capture cities of Oulu and Kemi in 20 days and cut Finland in half.

Soviet armies made the final preparations to be able to launch the invasion as simultaneously as possible on the whole lenght of the border.

Mainila shots were not the only povocation preceding the Winter War.

Pummanki's provocation has been compared to Mainila shots.

On 28.11.1939, 2 days after the Mainila shots, 50 russians crossed the border under cover of darkness in Pummanki, Finnish Petsamo. 🧵 In the evening, a call was made from the Kohmelo-oja guard camp to the border guard lodge in the village of Pummanki.

In the middle of the call, Pummanki's guard chief Veikko Salkio said that Finns were being pointed at with rifles from the door before the call was interrupted.

Due to popular demand, I'll tell you more about my home country Finland.

In this thread, you'll get knowledge about Finnish mentality, geography and everything else a foreigner should know if he/she is interested in visiting or even living here.

This is Finland 🇫🇮 Finland is a country located in northern Europe.

It is one of the world's most northern and geographically remote countries with a population of 5,6 million.

Nearly two-thirds of Finland is blanketed by thick woodlands, making it the most densely forested country in Europe.

Nordic countries are strengthening their defense at such a pace that it could be said that a so-called "mini-NATO" is being formed in the north.

Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark are a force to be reckoned with.

First part of the series of threads is:

Nordic Air Forces🧵 In March 2023, leaders of the Nordic air forces of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland signed a joint declaration to integrate their collective air forces in the coming years. This so-called 'Air Commanders' Intent' aims for these forces to eventually operate seamlessly together

Are we heading for the next world war?

When you study the causes that led to the previous world war, it is easy to find much of the same in the current world situation.

Let's compare in 6 parts🧵 1. WW2: The trauma of Treaty of Versailles and the German desire for restored might.

Today: The trauma of the collapse of USSR & russia's desire for restored might.

Let's continue the threads about Finland's preparation for the threat of war and crisis situations.

Next part is the Finnish nationwide civil defence system 🧵 In early 2022, Finland had about 50 500 civil defence shelters with space for a total of 4,8 million people.

Civil defence shelters provide protection against, for example explosions and shrapnel, collapsing buildings, blast waves as well as radiation and hazardous substances.

Finland is known to be an example in preparedness.

In this thread, I'll tell you about a world-class specialty, the world's longest continuous underground tunnel, which is built to secure the water supply of millions of people in all conditions:

Päijänne water tunnel Future water problem in Helsinki region was noticed in the 1960s.

Water resources in the nearby area were of poor quality and dwindling due to growing population. Seawater purification would have become very expensive.

Kremlin controlled propagandists have begun spreading a story that the so-called "Old Finland" area should be returned to Russia.

According to the new Russian narrative, the area called "Old Finland" would actually be "historical Russian land" 🤡 Russians "argue" that these areas were annexed to the Russian Empire several decades before Sweden lost all of Finland to Russia and the Grand Duchy of Finland was established at the end of the Finnish War (1808–1809).

Seeds of the Finnish people's hatred towards Russia were cruelly sown in the first half of the 18th century.

On the orders of the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, a genocide took place, which is known in Finland as "Great Wrath". 🧵 At the beginning of the 18th century, the Great Northern War was going on between Sweden and the Russian Empire, and Sweden had suffered a great defeat in Finland.

Finns were forced under Russian rule.

During Stalin's 1930's purges, genocide of at least 20,000 people of Finnish origin was carried out.

Historian Anni Reuter thinks that the actual number of Finnish victims was even higher.

Of the Finns living in the Soviet Karelia at the time, 90% received a death sentence. A new period of oppression against Finns is considered to have started in the early 1930s, when suspicion of everything foreign grew in the Soviet Union.

West and capitalist countries were seen as a growing threat, and anything foreign began to be viewed with suspicion.

THE BATTLE FOR THE LIGHTHOUSE

In July 1941, a Soviet force attacked Bengtskär with the mission of capturing the island & blowing up the lighthouse.

Island's 38 Finnish defenders fought furiously against the Russians.

In this thread I will tell you more about this famous battle BACKGROUNDS:

After the Winter War, Soviet Union had established a base in the Hanko's occupied area, from which it controlled maritime traffic in the Gulf of Finland.

However, Finn's controlled the island of Bengtskär, 25km from Hanko & were able observe Russians from there.

Five bloody minutes started the winter war in November 1939 -

Soviet bombers hit Helsinki without a declaration of war and killed 91 civilians.

The first bombings of Helsinki were a clear war crime against civilians 🧵 As the border region became a battleground early in the morning, the citizens of Helsinki started their day oblivious to that war had started.

The first indication they had that anything was amiss was the wail of the siren at 09:20, followed shortly by rumbling of engines.

On June 14, 1940, the Finnish airliner Aero's Kaleva plane was on its normal scheduled flight from Tallinn to Helsinki, when two Soviet DB-3T bombers appeared next to it shortly after takeoff.

Planes opened fire, causing an tragedy which was kept silent for decades 🧵 In the summer of 1940, days of fear were lived in Estonia.

The presence of the Soviet forces, who had already taken over the bases, was turning into a full occupation, which would be carried out without mercy.

There was an interim peace between Finland and the Soviet Union.

June 20, 1944 was a particularly dark day in Finnish history. Soviet bombers bombed Kurkijoki's Elisenvaara station.

A tragedy happened, about which both Finnish and Soviet authorities kept silent for decades.🧵 The most destructive aerial bombardment in Finland took place at the Elisenvaara crossing station on June 20, 1944.

USSR bombed a massively crowded station with 80 planes.

Betrayed Battalion - The sad story of Tribal Battalion 3 (Heimopataljoona 3)

In fall 1942, Marshal Mannerheim approved the creation of the ”Tribal Battalion". POW's who understood the Finnish language, but did not serve in the Red Army in officer positions, were selected to it. Tribal Battalion 3 consisted mainly of prisoners of war who served in the Red Army, soldiers from Aunus, Tver and Vienna Karelia, as well as soldiers from Inger and Veps.

Battalion was assigned to the Finnish core crew, 119 officers, non-commissioned officers & regular soldiers.

Attack by Russian partisans on the Finnish village of Seitajärvi in Savukoski in the summer of 1944 was one of the worst attacks against civilians of the entire war & an example of Russian brutality they are capable of.

❗WARNING contains very sensitive pictures of the victims❗ Destruction in the remote village of Seitajärvi was total on the morning of July 7, 1944. A Soviet partisan unit had carried out an attack hundreds of kilometers from the front line.

A village inhabited by civilians had been surprised in a perfectly bright summer night.

Imagine how differently things would be today if Finland actually got the Western help it wished & asked for in Winter War against the Soviet Union.

Let's play with this alternative line of history in this short thread 🧵 Was there a real threat during the Winter War that the Soviet Union would be attacked from Finland?

Everyone knows that there wasn't.

The goal was to annex Finland back to the Soviet Union. There was a literal deal about it between Nazi-Germany & USSR.