It is Friday night on a forested military base in western Finland. A group of women dressed in camouflage with matching purple beanie hats are sat in a dark tent discussing how their perspectives have changed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“I didn’t think it was a real threat that Russia would attack us,” says Sari, 42, who works in sales and lives in a nearby town. But then, she adds: “They attacked Ukraine. I saw that it is possible that we are next.”
The mother of two, who describes herself as a “realist”, was moved to join this weekend-long “surviving without electricity” course by her patriotic values, but she also wants to be more prepared with practical skills for day-to-day life. She is one of about 75 women taking part.
While a power cut is a situation that could be brought on by a storm – as happened for tens of thousands across Finland last week – they are also skills that could prove crucial in a potential Russian invasion or hybrid attack.
The training course, known as Nasta, is one of 40 put on by the Women’s National Emergency Preparedness Association around Finland. Others include cybersecurity, mental resilience, wilderness skills, snowmobile driving and information influencing. After the invasion of Ukraine, applications for the courses soared. Not only does Finland have a history of war with its neighbour, but they also share a 830-mile land border.
