Record Numbers Have Quit Finland Army Reserves Since Russia Invasion

A record number of people in Finland’s army reserve have switched to civilian service this year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Officials claim the trend does not pose difficulties for the country’s national defence.

The number of requests to be transferred from the army reserve to civilian service has surged this year, from just 460 applications in 2021 to over 3,300 so far this year. The trend started at the beginning of the year but surged in March following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February.

While some believe that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has likely played a role in the surge of applications, broadcaster Yle reports that the applications do not ask the motives of the applicants.

Civil service director Mikko Reijonen stated that the Russian invasion very likely played a role in the number of requests to leave the army reserve, however, saying that “[p]ossibly, at that point, many people have also thought about whether their conviction is the same” — but claimed that he did not see the trend as an issue for Finland’s national defence.

“The size of Finland’s reserve is around 900,000 people, so this is a small number. It must also be remembered that those who are required to complete supplementary service are given a very good week-long training. Thanks to it, they get the skills to act in everyday crises and are also assigned to various tasks in exceptional circumstances,” he said.

Colonel Jukka Nurmi of the Finnish Defence Forces also commented on the trend, claiming “we are not worried about the situation.”

“Although the number of people transferring from the reserve to civilian service has increased, the numbers must be compared to the size of the reserve and the wartime forces. Compared to them, the numbers are still small,” Nurmi suggested.

The authorities in Finland have been concerned regarding the possible reaction from Russia after the country applied to join the NATO alliance earlier this year, with some speculating Russia may attempt to use illegal migrants in a form of hybrid warfare against Finland.

In July, Finnish Chief of Defence Timo Kivinen was even more direct, stating that Finland has been preparing for decades in the event of possible Russian aggression.

“We have systematically developed our military defence precisely for this type of warfare that is being waged [in Ukraine], with a massive use of firepower, armoured forces and also airforces,” Kivinen said.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.