Finland plans thousands of wind turbines along Russian border for defense
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Representatives of Finland's energy industry have proposed building a series of wind farms along the eastern border with Russia, Yle reports.

The program, called Resil East, involves the construction of thousands of wind turbines in the east of the country, which could not only produce "green" electricity, but also serve as platforms for surveillance equipment, in particular for monitoring the situation beyond the Russian border.

The possibility of using towers and solar panels to create obstacles that would enhance defense capabilities is also being discussed.

However, the Finnish Defense Forces are cautious about the idea, stressing that turbines are not the best platform for surveillance due to vibrations from power plants and the electromagnetic environment of wind turbines.

In addition, there are concerns about the participation of private companies in sensitive defense projects – in particular, regarding cybersecurity and control of access to systems.

Despite this, representatives of the energy sector are convinced that technical solutions can be found within five years, and the project will allow attracting private investment, which can be partially counted as defense spending.

The Resil East program is designed for a period of one to three years and does not yet have funding.

Universities, companies and municipalities in Eastern Finland have joined the initiative. The cost of the first phase – planning – is estimated at 3 million euros.

According to the authors of the project, this approach will simultaneously solve the issues of energy independence, development of remote regions, and strengthening national security.