Moscow [Russia], September 3: A new NATO command center began operating in Finland on September 1, according to The Kyiv Independent news site today, September 2.
The new command center is the Multi-Corps Army Command (MCLCC) in the city of Mikkeli, established in cooperation with the Finnish army to strengthen NATO 's presence in the country.
The MCLCC also strengthens NATO's defensive posture along its eastern flank amid concerns about a potential clash between Russia and the military alliance, according to The Kyiv Independent .
The MCLCC staff will initially consist of 10 people but will increase to 50 over the next few years, including military personnel from Finland and other countries.
MCLCC, located about 100 km from the Finnish-Russian border, will oversee command and control of NATO forces and synchronization of national land forces in the northern region.
There is currently no information about Russia's reaction to the news that NATO has put the MCLCC into operation.
Finnish Defense Minister Anti Hakkanen gave the green light to the MCLCC deployment last month. The new command will be among NATO's closest bases to the Russian border, according to The Kyiv Independent .
After breaking its long-standing neutrality, Finland joined NATO in 2023 in response to Russia's military campaign in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Neighboring Sweden joined NATO a year later.
In May, the Finnish military announced that it expected Russia to increase its military presence along the 1,340-km shared border after the conflict in Ukraine ended, according to The Kyiv Independent .
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
