This Christmas, Santa Claus has new helpers: NATO deploys in Lapland over possible Russian attack
In the self-proclaimed home town of Santa Claus, where reindeer sleigh rides crisscross snowy forests and children queue for a glimpse of joulupukki himself (that's Finnish for Santa), an unexpected new presence is reshaping the normally festive landscape: NATO soldiers.
This Christmas season, Rovaniemi's usual influx of holidaymakers is being met by thousands of international troops rotating through Finland's northernmost city for large-scale military exercises amid rising tensions with Russia. The nearby Rovajärvi training area (western Europe's largest) is now hosting back-to-back drills preparing allied personnel for the possibility of conflict on the continent's longest NATO-Russia border.
Tourists confront a new reality
Visitors expecting only holiday cheer are finding the Arctic idyll punctured by the sound of low-flying aircraft and columns of military vehicles.
"We didn't know anything about it," says Donna Coyle from Scotland (via The Guardian), describing the surprise of hearing military aircraft rumbling overhead during a reindeer safari with her young daughter, Lyla.
Hannah Schlicker, visiting from Stuttgart, says that even in Santa's home town, the war in Europe feels inescapable. "You cannot hide from it," she says. "This morning on a reindeer tour, we saw military planes going around... It's actually scary to think how close we are [to Russia]."
Even Santa Park (the underground "home cavern" where families meet Santa and his elves) serves as a reminder of the geopolitical situation: the festive attraction doubles as a city bomb shelter.
A strategic Arctic frontier
Just 55 miles from Russia, Lapland has become central to Finland's rapidly evolving security posture since joining NATO in 2023. Rovaniemi is expected to host elements of the alliance's new Forward Land Forces battlegroup, led by Sweden and intended to deter aggression along the eastern frontier.
During Lapland Steel 25, nearly 1,000 troops from Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom battled through deep snow, forests and sub-zero temperatures, practicing tank manoeuvres, helicopter operations and Arctic warfare skills. It followed Northern Strike 225, which brought together more than 2,000 Finnish and Polish soldiers.
"We are preparing for the worst," says 19-year-old Swedish tank driver Alva Stormark. "There is a war in Europe, and we are close to the Russians."
Col. Marko Kivelä, commander of Finland's Jaeger Brigade, describes Lapland as a region of "extreme strategic importance," pointing to Russia's extensive military build-up on the Kola peninsula, including the world's highest concentration of nuclear weapons.
"Russia is changing their posture," he says, warning that Moscow is preparing new infrastructure and command structures for forces expected to return to the Finnish border once the war in Ukraine ends. "There will be a more formidable Russian force across our border."
Training for a conflict nobody wants
For many of Finland's conscripts, the duty feels both ordinary and historic. Military service is compulsory for most Finnish men, and volunteers like 23-year-old Rebekka Bruun say the growing tensions have only reinforced their sense of purpose.
"It's gruelling," Bruun says, describing marches carrying nearly half her bodyweight. "But I don't regret joining. We have trained well. So I'm not nervous."
Fellow conscript Joona Lahtelin, 20, shares the sentiment. "Someone has to do it," he says. "It's not that big of a step to join the army for real when wartime comes."
<bild>Incredible sunrise at the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finland</bild>
Nordic allies close ranks
The region's strategic weight has also deepened defence cooperation among Nordic countries. In Rovaniemi last week, senior military officials from Finland, Sweden and Norway met to advance plans for the establishment of Finland's Forward Land Forces.
Brigadier General Michael Carlén of the Swedish army says the Arctic battlegroup will strengthen NATO's eastern flank by demonstrating readiness in some of the alliance's most challenging terrain. "Violence is to be avoided with Russia by demonstrating our ability," he says.
On 1 December, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, pledged to intensify joint defence planning and civil preparedness.
<bild>Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi</bild>
A Christmas like no other
Back in Santa Claus Village, snowflakes fall on families bundled in winter gear, lining up to whisper their wishes to Santa. A few miles away, the rumble of armour and the chop of helicopter blades echo across the frozen landscape.
In Rovaniemi, holiday magic still shines. But this year, it shares the stage with a stark reminder: even at the top of the world, Europe's new cold war feels very close indeed.
<bild>Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland - 2016: the real Santa Claus, at Santa Claus Village, Arctic Circle north of Rovaniemi</bild>