Russia ramping up hostile activity in Finland - Reuters
Photo: Russia's acts of sabotage are increasing in Finland (pixabay.com)
Finland is facing suspicious acts of sabotage and disorganization. Russia is conducting large-scale influence operations against the Nordic country and other European nations, according to Lulu Ranne, Finland's Minister of Interior.
According to officials, NATO and Western intelligence services, including Finland's, warn that hostile Russian activities are increasing in the Euro-Atlantic region, ranging from ongoing cyberattacks to arson.
"We are experiencing disruptions, acts of sabotage, various types of damage, and instrumentalized migration, among other things. This creates a general sense of uncertainty and vagueness about what is true and what is not," Ranne told reporters.
She noted that investigations into many incidents are ongoing.
"However, based on the information from both civilian and military intelligence, we have clear indications pointing to Russia. Currently, Russia is the main entity engaging in broad-ranging influence operations against us," she stated.
Ranne added that this connection is most evident in the GPS communication disruptions observed in Finland's maritime and air traffic.
Meanwhile, the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) indicated that some suspicious incidents might be linked to vandalism and unrelated to foreign states, likely caused by increased public vigilance regarding such events.
Russian cyberattacks
In October, the northern energy company Fortum reported to Reuters that it faces daily cyberattacks in Finland and Sweden. Employees sometimes spot drones and suspicious individuals near their facilities. Additionally, satellite communications at Fortum's power plants have been disrupted.
Nordea, the largest creditor in the Nordic region, has been the target of cyberattacks for several weeks, resulting in an unprecedented denial-of-service campaign.
These attacks prompted Finland's National Bureau of Investigation to launch an investigation last week into cyberattacks targeting the financial sector.
"The recent wave of DDoS attacks, which started in mid-September across Nordic countries, was the most aggressive we've ever seen. The attacks led to temporary slowness or unavailability of online services," stated Nordea in an email to Reuters.
The company reported blocking about 90% of the recent attacks against it.
Thefts at water facilities
Additionally, Finnish authorities systematically attempt to investigate all instances of drones being detected near critical infrastructure.
"However, a murky layer remains that cannot be identified. No one has been caught," said Tomi Vuori, director general of the interior ministry's police department.
In addition to drones, many thefts have been reported at water facilities and similar sites, where technical equipment was stolen without clear financial interest. This raises suspicions of state involvement.
According to Supo, Russian intelligence services have had to rethink their operations after European countries expelled over 700 Russian diplomats in response to Russia's war in Ukraine.
"Russia's modus operandi is increasingly aggressive, they are a more dangerous actor, and they are less and less interested in collateral victims," Supo's Deputy Chief Teemu Turunen told Reuters.
"The other side of the coin is that Russia is not an omnipotent, all-powerful actor, as they often like to portray themselves. They are not capable of everything they are currently being accused of," he added.
Increasing tensions in Finland
Recent media reports indicate that Finnish authorities plan to deploy a NATO armored brigade near the border with Russia.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that Finns need to be prepared for war approaching their borders.
In the summer, reports of increased weapon activity related to GPS systems within Finland were reported.
