In a rock-hewn civil defense shelter, two Finnish conscripts wearing hazmat suits and breathing masks are measuring radiation levels during an exercise designed to make the cave safe for thousands of people.
Inside, hundreds of individuals are sleeping overnight on trestle beds in what is normally a sports hall.
Over 2,000 participants, including students and volunteers, are taking part in Europe's largest civil defense exercise since World War II ended. The scenario involves cyberattacks disrupting critical infrastructure in Kuopio, central Finland—including power and water—coupled with the threat of missile strikes from Russia, Finland’s neighbor.
The objective is to allow local authorities and citizens to practice responses should a real attack occur.
However, while underground bunkers may offer some protection against missiles, they do not guard against the sabotage and disruption campaign that Western officials report Russia is executing across Europe. This campaign has included setting fires, attacking power stations and water facilities, and using drones for sabotage in EU airspace.
Finland shares a border with Russia stretching over 830 miles (1,300 kilometers) from the Baltic Sea to the Arctic Circle. Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland joined NATO alongside Sweden. Prior to this, Finns were largely responsible for their own defense against Russia.
Finland Looks to Ukraine for Lessons
Retired Army Colonel Asko Muhonen stated that Finnish defense depends not only on the military but also on the "mindset" of ordinary Finns prepared to take responsibility for national security.
Muhonen, who organized the Kuopio exercise, attributed this partly to Finland's continued conscription system even after the Soviet Union dissolved.
Jyry Pietikainen, a 23-year-old conscript taught how to manage the Kuopio shelter overnight, said that while not everyone is pleased with national service, "it’s our duty to serve and protect this country like people have before us. That’s why we have our independence.”
Muhonen also noted that Finland needs to learn from Ukraine.
Although the largest shelter in Kuopio can accommodate 7,000 people, Ukrainians sometimes only have a few minutes to reach a subway station or underground parking lot. This suggests a need for easily accessible shelters offering some protection—not necessarily nuclear-proof, he added.
Dmytro Untila, a 20-year-old Ukrainian student in Kuopio, was at home in Odesa when Russian missiles struck his city on February 24, 2022, the first day of the war. He sheltered in his building's entrance hall as he had nowhere else to go.
He stated that training for such a situation would have been beneficial in Ukraine because "nobody knew this could happen."
Juha Räsänen, CEO at Savon Voima electricity company, said heavy snowfall, storms, and bad weather pose the biggest threat to energy infrastructure in the Kuopio region.
However, since the invasion of Ukraine and the company's decision to cease purchasing Russian biofuel, Räsänen noted a significant increase in cyberattacks against the network.
Last year, engineers also discovered at least 10 stickers placed on particularly vulnerable parts of the energy network infrastructure. Other Finnish energy companies have found these stickers without knowing their origin.
Räsänen warned that "If there was an explosion at that point, it could destroy a whole dam." He added that drones have been seen over power lines but those responsible remain unidentified.
Räsänen emphasized that since not all threats can be guarded against, preparedness for self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours is crucial if power fails or water becomes undrinkable.
The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service reported investigating "a wide range of observations" but found nothing concerning.
In a statement, the service mentioned that vigilance has increased since 2022 due to the security situation, leading people to report items like reflective stickers related to land survey work. Drone sightings have been "largely explained by everyday occurrences."
Vuokko Lahtinen, 32, who was visiting a sauna in Kuopio, said that "Small things are happening all the time," including Russian jamming of GPS signals.
She concluded that "the best defense of Finland is to make it not worth attacking."
This relies on both the country's military and defense forces and Finnish people who feel they have something worth fighting for.
Lahtinen noted a "general feeling of responsibility" in Finland, which has grown from local community groups and initiatives like recycling.
She stated that "On a very simple daily level, if you do things that matter, then it has a butterfly-wing effect.”
Finland's History with the Soviet Union
In its wars with the Soviet Union, Finland lost approximately 11% of its territory, and over 400,000 people, about 12% of the population, fled their homes from an area now in western Russia.
At Kuopio’s veterans’ museum, Risto Mönkkönen, 95, showed AP a paper listing dates of city bombings and fatalities.
"I cannot forget it," he said, explaining how, as a child, he and his father sought shelter just as a bomb struck, killing five of his father's friends.
Pirkko Naukkarinen, 102, recalled working in a field kitchen near the front lines at age 16, sometimes sharing dugouts with soldiers and taking cover in ditches during Soviet air attacks on the retreating Finnish army.
Aili Toivanen, 92, told AP she was forced to leave her home twice during the various wars. Both times, Finnish soldiers informed her family they had one hour to pack belongings.
The first time, she recalled seeing her home burning—set alight by Finnish soldiers who did not want anything left behind. The second time, she said the Soviet air force bombed their departing train, forcing them to jump out and hide in ditches before reaching Kuopio.
When Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, she said tearfully that she worried she might have to leave her home a third time.
Finns Feel Their Country Is Worth Fighting For
Thousands of people, including schoolchildren and university students, entered the shelter in Kuopio.
Amanda Hill, 11, whose school was using the shelter for the day, stated, "Kids would need to know this, because they might have to do something alone. The adults can’t always help.”
Sitting with fellow conscripts on the shelter floor, Pietikainen explained why practicing crisis scenarios is not irrational.
"We’re Finns, so we’re kind of pessimistic about life in a way," he said, but history demonstrates what can happen with Russia.
Regarding threats from Moscow, Muhonen advised, “don’t believe what they say but observe what they do.”