NATO launches new command in Finland near Russian border
A new NATO command center began operations in Finland on Sept. 1, situated roughly 250 kilometers (150 miles) from the Russian city of St. Petersburg.
The alliance's Multi-Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC) in the city of Mikkeli, launched in cooperation with the Finnish military, strengthens NATO's footprint in its new northern member state.
The facility also reinforces NATO's defense posture along its eastern flank amid concerns about a potential clash between Russia and the alliance.
The command's staff will initially be comprised of 10 people but will expand to up to 50 over the next few years, including military personnel from Finland and other countries.
The new facility, lying about 100 kilometers (roughly 60 miles) from the Finland-Russia border, will oversee command and control of the NATO forces and synchronization of national land forces in the northern area.
"This means, among others, planning, preparing, and directing the alliance's combined training exercise activity," the Finnish military said.
Finnish Defense Minister Anti Hakkanen greenlit the deployment of the new command in August this year.
The command will rank among NATO's closest headquarters to the Russian border, including the Multinational Division North HQ in Adazi, Latvia, and the Poland-based Multinational Division North East HQ in Elbig and the Multinational Corps Northeast HQ in Szczecin.
In a break from its long-time neutrality, Finland joined NATO in 2023 in response to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with neighboring Sweden joining a year later.
Finland's military said in May it expects a Russian military buildup along the shared 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border once the war in Ukraine concludes.
