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NATO ground forces started operations on Saturday to bolster defences around Sweden and Finland, the alliance’s two newest members.
Both Nordic nations abandoned decades of military non-alignment to join NATO following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) Finland, including the Alliance’s newest multinational battlegroup, led by framework nation Sweden, began operations today in Finland and Sweden to support the defence of NATO’s northeastern flank. More here: https://t.co/FC8hjnp5Ab pic.twitter.com/2B0mOMUK4W
— SHAPE – NATO Allied Command Operations (@SHAPE_NATO) June 6, 2026
Finland officially entered the alliance in 2023, while Sweden joined the following year.
US General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, labelled the northeastern flank one of the most strategically significant and environmentally challenging areas in the world.
Sweden and Finland sit on the Baltic Sea, a critical waterway for Russian warships travelling to and from Saint Petersburg or the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Additionally, Finland shares a direct border with Russia and previously fought two wars against the Soviet Union during World War II.
To counter regional threats, NATO decided in 2024 to establish a new multinational military presence called the Forward Land Forces (FLF) in Finland.
The rapid-reaction unit, which officially began its operations on Saturday, includes a Swedish battle group.
NATO already deploys similar multinational land units across its eastern flank, including Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
