Finland, with a wary eye on Russia, runs Europe's largest civil defense exercise since WWII. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
In a civil defense shelter hewn into rock, behind doors designed to withstand a nuclear or biological attack, two Finnish conscripts wearing hazmat suits and breathing masks are measuring radiation levels as they take part in an exercise to turn a cave into a place of safety for thousands of people. The exercise is taking place at a shelter in Kuopio.
According to AP photo editor Emma Burrows, during the exercise on Sept. 2, 2026, Finnish conscripts measured radiation, and people entered a shelter designed to withstand chemical, nuclear and biological attacks.
Finnish war veteran Pirkko Naukkarinen looks over photos from World War II in an album at a museum in Kuopio. Aili Toivanen wears a traditional Karelian dress as she sits with friends in the city of Kuopio.
The exercise reflects Finland's concerns about Russia and aims to strengthen the country's civil defense readiness.