Finland is running Europe’s largest civil defence exercise since the end of World War II, involving more than 2,000 participants. The drill is designed to test preparedness and coordination across roles included in civilian defence.
Several outlets describe the exercise as occurring amid heightened concern about Russia. One outlet frames the move as preparation in light of potential actions by President Vladimir Putin, while other reports focus more generally on civil preparedness without specifying a particular threat. Coverage also notes that the participants include a mix of people, including volunteers and students in some accounts.
Overall, the reports agree on the scale and timing—positioning the exercise as a major, large-scale readiness activity in Finland—while differing mainly in how directly they connect the drills to Russia and individual actors. The event is presented as part of Finland’s broader approach to emergency planning and public resilience.
