The Finnish Navy will conduct large-scale international drills known as Freezing Winds 25 from November 24 to December 4 in Southern Finland, the Archipelago Sea, and the entrance to the Gulf of Finland. These exercises are the primary autumn maneuvers of the Finnish fleet and a vital element of NATO's collective defense in the Baltic Sea. This was reported by the Finnish Navy.
“Freezing Winds 25 demonstrates our ability to defend the Baltic region under various conditions. We can act quickly and in unison, and these exercises strengthen those capabilities,” emphasized the Commander of the Finnish Navy Operations, Commodore Marko Laaksonen.
The drills will involve not only the Finnish Navy but also units and vessels from the Army, Air Force, Logistics Command, and Border Guard.

The key objectives of the drills include:

• protecting maritime routes and critical infrastructure;
• conducting combat operations in the archipelago and defending against landings;
• joint operations of ships and coastal units;
• round-the-clock flights of fighter jets, patrol aircraft, and helicopters.

Autumn and winter weather conditions create a realistic scenario for training in the defense of the Baltic region.

Who is participating

Military personnel from 11 NATO countries are participating in Freezing Winds 25: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, the USA, and Finland.
A total of around 5000 military personnel and 20 combat vessels and support ships are involved, including NATO's standing mine countermeasures group SNMCMG1.
Some operations will also take place in the territorial waters and archipelago of Estonia. Coastal units will primarily operate in the Archipelago Sea and on the Hanko Peninsula.
Participating ships began arriving at the port of Turku on November 21.