Deep beneath the central Finnish city of Kuopio, a massive man-made chamber carved into solid rock tells a story of a nation preparing for uncertainty. Behind thick blast doors engineered to withstand the worst impacts of nuclear or biological strikes, two young Finnish conscripts clad in full hazmat gear and filtered breathing masks move through the space, their Geiger counters clicking softly as they measure potential radiation levels. This is not a crisis response — it is the centerpiece of the largest civil defense exercise Europe has seen since the end of World War II.
With a wary eye on Russia, Finland runs Europe’s largest civil defense exercise since WWII
