Russia's hybrid influence is targeting Finland. It is perceived as a threat.
Russia often involve spreading false and misleading information to destabilize states …whether by deepening societal tensions or influencing political processes in favor of a particular party.
Finland has experienced a sharp increase in GPS disturbances. Affected flights forced airports to switch to other navigation systems, preventing some flights from landing. Over 2,800 incidents reportedly affected flights in 2024 compared to just 200 the year prior. The sudden increase raised suspicions of deliberate interference by Russia.
Though Finland was able to maintain a strong defense capability and carefully managed relations with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine changed Finland’s national security context radically.
We feel fear and hate. Finland’s 5.6 million citizens share a land border of more than 1280 kilometers with Russia.
Hybrid challenges
Hybrid threats have been a longstanding national concern Iin Finland, and these concerns have escalated since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. The related concepts of hybrid threats and hybrid warfare, often used interchangeably, encompass a wide spectrum of activities, from influence campaigns, economic pressure and covert political maneuvering, to sabotage, cyberattacks and instrumentalization of migrant flows.