NATO to hold largest artillery drills in Europe near Russian border

NATO will conduct the largest artillery integration exercise on the European continent, hosted for the first time by Finland along its border with Russia, according to a press release from the US Army in Europe and Africa.

The Lightning Strike 24 exercise is part of the Dynamic Front 25 series, involving over 5,000 service members from the United States and 28 allied and partner nations. More than 130 weapons systems will be used.

The drills will occur in Finland and extend to Estonia, Germany, Poland, and Romania. The exercise will run in Finland until November 28 along the Murmansk border area, specifically in Rovaniemi and Rovajärvi.

Around 3,600 Finnish personnel—including brigade-level units, the Air Force, Border Guard, Finnish Defense Forces C5 Agency, Military Medicine Center, and Logistics Command—will participate, joined by roughly 1,250 international troops.

The exercise aims to demonstrate NATO's defensive capabilities in northern Europe while refining command, control, and interoperability with NATO's Rapid Reaction Corps.

Exercise director Colonel Janne Mäkitalo said the scale underscores Finland's capability to receive allied support "very rapidly" if needed.

"This is a good example of the fact that our own field artillery, combined with Allied capabilities, forms a strong defense in the northern part of Finland and NATO," he said.