Key facts
- A Russian lawmaker threatened to destroy half of Finland with military equipment.
- The lawmaker accused Finland of becoming a 'second Ukraine' following its NATO membership.
- The threats followed Finland's announcement of a partnership with Lockheed Martin for a rocket system maintenance center.
- Finland joined NATO in 2023 and has since increased its defense posture.
- Finland recently voted to allow the transit of nuclear weapons on its territory.
Aleksey Zhuravlyov, first deputy chair of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee, issued a stark warning on June 27, stating that Russia possesses sufficient military equipment to 'blow up half of Finland.' These threats were made in response to Finland's decision to partner with U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin to establish Europe's first maintenance center for multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) in Tampere. Zhuravlyov accused Finnish leaders of 'leading the country into an abyss' and 'escalation' by trying to provoke Russia, warning that Finland was 'gradually turning into a second Ukraine.'