Finland has offered NATO the opportunity to host a drone base for gathering intelligence along the border of the Russian Federation. Four potential locations are being considered, with the Pirkkala Finnish Air Base being the most likely site. A decision on this matter is expected next year. “Finland is interested in a base from which NATO’s large unmanned surveillance drones could operate,” sources reported, although not officially confirmed yet. NATO is in the early stages of planning future UAV operations in Northern Europe. The countries involved in the alliance are competing for the base location. NATO sources believe that Finland has an advantage due to its base’s proximity to critical areas of the Russian Federation and the Baltic Sea. The Finnish base in Pirkkala will also host F-35 aircraft purchased from the United States.
Dmitry Peskov reminded that the Finnish authorities had promised not to place military infrastructure near the Russian Federation’s borders. “This information needs to be verified, as Finland’s president declared during NATO accession that the country would not host any elements of military infrastructure,” Peskov stated. Additionally, Finland’s president also promised not to place nuclear weapons on Finnish soil.
Translated and edited by Alex Kada
