- Finland plans to open a new shooting range as interest has increased following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- The Nordic country joined NATO in April amid mounting security concerns.
- The Finnish government aims to increase the number of civilian shooting ranges from 670 to around 1,000 by 2030.
Finland is planning to open a new shooting range to meet the surge in demand after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finnish public broadcaster Ale said in a report on Tuesday.
Finland, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia, joined NATO in April amid national security concerns after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.
Eel said Finns have become more interested in national defense since the beginning of the Ukraine war, and the number of training days for defense enthusiasts has doubled since the start of the war. More Finns are applying for gun licenses, the broadcaster added.
Existing shooting ranges also serve other users such as hunters and police, so they will be used more often and will require more facilities.
Finland has about 670 shooting ranges for civilians, and before 2000 there were more than 2,000, but this number is expected to increase to about 1,000 by 2000, according to Air News. is reporting.
Jukka Kopra, Member of Parliament for the People’s Union Party and Chairman of the Finnish Defense Committee, told Eire that there is no need to travel far just to practice shooting. He should be able to practice shooting as easily as he does soccer or ice hockey, he added.
Meanwhile, the Finnish Ministry of Defense plans to “protect the activities of Finnish firing ranges and facilitate the establishment of new firing ranges,” a spokesperson told the Guardian.
Relations between Finland and Russia have deteriorated significantly since the Nordic country joined NATO.
Finland closed all its borders with Russia late last year amid a midwinter surge in asylum seekers. Helsinki accused Russia of intentionally sending migrants to its border to punish Finland for cooperating with the United States.
The Kremlin denied Finland’s accusations.