British troops battle snow and sub-zero cold in war games near Russian border

The 3 Rifles battalion, based in Edinburgh, joined Finnish troops for Operation Northern Axe last week.

It's a large-scale winter exercise that plunges soldiers into a mock conflict fought among towering pine trees, icy wind and snowdrifts.

Finland joined NATO in 2023, ending decades of military neutrality after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Its long frontier with Russia - which measures some 800 miles - has now become one of the alliance’s most important borders.

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Major Henry Wootton explained that the new NATO territory poses a challenge for British soldiers: “We’ve done a lot of fighting in hot weather environments, so the British army is pretty familiar with that.

“But the extra challenges of operating in this cold weather environment is something we’re not familiar with, so this training opportunity is a Godsend.”

And the cold weather is vicious - whilst training in Sodankyla, British soldiers were exposed to temperatures as low as -28 degrees.

When it is that cold, frostbite take effect in as little as ten minutes.

Corporal Reece Wilkinson-Wilson said: “Temperatures and the environment are definitely out to get you here, there’s no way of just grizzing through.”

In Vuosanka, a region in the middle of Finland, the training includes mock assaults, defensive manoeuvres and overnight camping in temperatures that dropped to around -2C.

For the Finnish troops - made up mainly of young conscripts and reserves, as well as some regular soldiers - they’re motivated by a tangible concern about Russia.

Rifleman Aaron Hunter, 21, told LBC: “The threat from the neighbor is a big one for the Finns - and mainly why we are out here also.

“It’s a big talking point for them, and they think it’s a very high-level threat. It could be round the corner, who knows?”

And Kainuu Brigade commander Ari Laaksonen told us that Finnish “will to defend is exceptionally high”.

They are proud to have held onto their mandatory conscription model - where young men must serve - as it’s seen as vital to protect the country given their geopolitical position.

For the British troops, the exercise has also been a chance to trial new battlefield technology.

They are testing handheld devices using ATAK software - the Android Team Awareness Kit - a system one soldier described as “Deliveroo for the army".

It maps the location of every unit in real time and allows commanders to request support or call in strikes with just a few taps.

Major Wootton said the tool could significantly speed up battlefield decision-making: “It makes commander control really easy whilst I am conducting an operation.

“Once the enemy start going at you, you need to be Abel to control where your people are easily and simply.”

British and Finnish forces have trained together before, but joint operations of this scale are still relatively new, made possible by Finland’s swift integration into NATO.

For Finland, the alliance brings security guarantees it has never had before.

For the UK, it offers a stronger foothold in the Arctic and Baltic regions, where NATO is now more focused than at any point since the Cold War.