The British troops preparing for war with Putin – just miles from Russian border

VUOSANKA, FINLAND – Deep in the forest, just 18 miles from the Russian border, the sharp pop of gunfire echoes through the trees. A drone whirrs overhead, scanning through the canopy as it hunts the soldiers hiding in camouflage below.

This is a war drill, with 5,000 troops from seven countries in the Nato military alliance. Divided up into invaders and defenders, these troops are learning how to defend the border with Russia against a possible attack.

Among them are more than 300 Britons, mostly from Edinburgh’s 3rd Battalion The Rifles (3 Rifles) and Colchester’s 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment (3 Paras).

Shorts

Military planners are preparing for a possible Russian attack on a Nato country in 2030, once Vladimir Putin has ended the war in Ukraine and regathered military strength. The head of the Army previously warned the UK had to be ready to fight or deter a war as early as 2027.