NATO Command opens in country bordering Russia

On October 3, NATO’s Multi-Corps Land Component Command North (MCLCC-N) officially opened in the Finnish city of Mikkeli, reported Ministry of Defense of the country.

"This is a historic day for Finland, NATO and Mikkeli. We set out to seek the establishment of a NATO command in Finland in autumn 2023 to maximise Finland’s security. Our objectives were approved at the meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence in June 2024. Now, a year later, we are already launching the command," said the head of the Ministry, Antti Häkkänen.

Earlier, on September 1, MCLCC-N began its activities at the Finnish Armed Forces Command in Mikkeli.

The command will plan, prepare and direct Allied land forces in Northern Europe. It will operate under the direction of the Joint Force Command in Norfolk, Virginia.

Under normal circumstances, the MCLCC-N will be responsible for Alliance exercises and other peacetime activities in the region. In an emergency, it will plan, direct and control land operations and defense in the far north.

Currently, the command has about 10 people on staff, but it is planned to increase this number to 50 in peacetime. This number will include personnel from various NATO member states and the Finnish Armed Forces.

"The MCLCC-N is tasked with bolstering NATO’s defence in the High North so that we will be able to guarantee the security of our region for years to come," said Häkkänen.

The distance from Mikkeli to the Finnish-Russian border is about 100 kilometers in a straight line:

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